Recent efforts to change the teaching profession and teacher preparation include a number of innovations to use portfolio assessment, value added measures (VAM), accountability metrics and other corporate education reform ideas. These approaches may provoke considerable potential legal consequences. Traditional constitutional and civil rights…

Discusses the issue of providing adequate legal representation for persons condemned to death. Asks if the rights of a poor capital defendant charged with a capital crime in the South enjoys fewer rights than one in Los Angeles and whether this creates a dual system of justice. Suggests that state action for improvement may be slow in coming. (KO)

Presents the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Provides teaching suggestions, a review quiz, and includes the five points of the Miranda Warning. (CFR)

Experts agree that the U.S. criminal justice system faces a crisis, yet there is a broad range of views as to its sources, consequences, and solutions. There seems to be a public perception that the individual rights guaranteed accused criminals by the U.S. Constitution prevents the criminal justice system from functioning properly. It is…

This handbook contains analyses of 88 elementary and secondary legal education materials and includes many lawyers' critiques. It is intended to help teachers identify and select law instruction curricula which will most effectively meet the needs of students. The materials analyzed are listed alphabetically by title and include multimedia,…

This K-12 handbook is designed for law and justice professionals who serve as resource persons and for classroom teachers in working with resource persons. The book consists of four parts. The introduction provides an overview, explains use of the handbook, presents information on using the community as a teaching resource, and provides a…

This facilitator's guide helps adults present young people a view of the U.S. justice system and to involve them in the idea of the legal process, understanding the rights and responsibilities of participating in their government, laws, and the justice system. The guide also helps them understand the consequences of breaking the law. The 18…

Developed specifically for use in juvenile corrections facilities, this law-related curriculum acquaints students with important aspects of the criminal and civil justice systems. The criminal justice lessons in the curriculum are designed to help students better understand how the system actually works; the effect of crime on its victims; the…

Describes the current state of juvenile criminal justice programs and the historical and legal precedents that created it. The current system rests on concepts of confidentiality, due process, and alternatives to jail. Many states are considering modifying aspects of these because of the increase in juvenile crime. (MJP)

Reviews the protections afforded by the Constitution for defendants in criminal trials. These include the right to a jury trial (in cases of possible incarceration), an impartial jury, and the requirement of a unanimous verdict. Defends the use of plea bargaining as essential to an efficient criminal justice system. (MJP)

Dedicated to celebrating the importance of law in U.S. life, the 19 stories collected in this volume are about legislators who enact the law, judges who interpret it, and lawyers who practice it. The stories describe the contributions to the United States through the law of distinguished individuals, emphasizing the devotion of many lawyers to…