Using a simulation of the constitutional procedures on appointment of U.S. Supreme Court justices, illustrates how the separation of powers established by the Constitution affects all three branches of government. Provides an outline of the simulation procedure, a lesson plan, and a brief bibliography. (LS)

Summarizes court cases bearing on religion in the school setting and the use of the three-part "Lemon" test in Establishment Clause cases; and examines a Louisiana District Court decision that affirmed the action of a school principal prohibiting a religiously oriented valedictory address. (MLF)

Reviews the Supreme Court decisions under the following subjects: (1) special education; (2) religion and public education; (3) employment and labor; (4) elections and voting rights; (5) freedom of speech; (6) Title IX and other issues of school district liability and immunity; and (7) cases to be decided next term. A list of cases and statutes…

A Supreme Court ruling found that federal programs or policies based on race must meet a legal test of strict scrutiny, requiring the program to demonstrate a compelling government interest and be narrowly tailored. Legal experts suggest that few federal affirmative action programs currently meet the standard. (MSE)

By law and example, school boards must govern within scope of Bill of Rights. Cites West Virginia State Board of Education v Barnette, in which Supreme Court in 1943 upheld two Jehovah's Witness children's right to refuse to participate in daily flag salute ceremony. Urges schools to teach students principles of democracy and also of individual…

Although religious beliefs of college students opposing abortion may be sincere, they must yield to the institution's need to decide what programs will serve the entire student body's needs. When the Supreme Court rules on a challenge to allocation of mandatory student fees, it will apply principles of religious freedom. (MSE)

The Supreme Court, in an upcoming case "Lee v. Weisman," will rule on whether prayer may be offered out loud at a public school graduation program. Argues that past court decisions have interpreted the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment over the Free Speech Clause of that same amendment. (57 references) (MLF)

Examines message T-Shirts as a medium for student expression and the ability of public schools to regulate those messages. Predicts that as violence and insolence increase in schools, courts will probably continue to defer to school authorities and let them handle their own problems. (77 footnotes). (MLF)

The history of the 11th amendment to the U.S. Constitution and its current application to schools and universities are examined in this paper. The amendment, which seeks to protect the states by redefining judicial boundaries within the federal concept of government, is unclear and paradoxical, especially to claimants seeking federal relief from a…

Throughout this bibliography, an asterisk identifies citations especially useful for school law classes. The library identification code and a brief annotation accompany the citations that are organized in the following sections: (1) guides to legal research; (2) indexes; (3) dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, and handbooks; (4) American…

There has been a renaissance of scholarship during the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Continued implementation of the Constitution requires that its text, its structure, and its principles be widely known and respectfully understood. U.S. citizens need to respect the Constitution as it was understood by those who framed it. Underlying the…

Immunity to prosecution afforded to units and agencies of state government under the eleventh amendment is discussed as it applies to public colleges and universities called as defendants in federal court actions. (MSE)

Although the Supreme Court has answered the important questions concerning the constitutional requirements for searches of students by school officials in the public schools, many issues remain unresolved. School officials are advised to proceed with caution, particularly with regard to strip searches, mass searches, and dogs to sniff students…

Outlines the confusion surrounding a Supreme Court decision in the "New Jersey vs. TLO" case, which put at issue the prohibition against unreasonable searches in schools. The Court's decision allows a lower standard of reasonableness to be applied in school searches. The standards are not clear and are open to serious question. (MD)

In the case of Gabrilowitz v Newman the court used the due process balancing test to conclude that a student has a right to have counsel present at a university disciplinary hearing where the conduct in question is the object of a pending criminal proceeding. Available from J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young U., Provo, UT 84602. (MSE)