Public Education Spotlight Programs

Law Day 2010 (May/June 2010)
The theme for Law Day 2010 is Law in the 21st Century: Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges. The American Bar Association’s website offers a variety of resources to assist in planning Law Day programs for students, the legal community, and the community at large.

New Online Civics Game Available from Our Courts (March/April 2010)
In February, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s Our Courts program released its third online civics game, Argument Wars. In this game, students argue one of five landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Other available games include Do I Have A Right? and Supreme Decision.

Local Bar Creates Website on Oregon Courts (January/February 2010)
The Multnomah Bar Association has created a new website aimed at informing citizens about Oregon courts, preserving the impartiality of the judiciary, and opposing potential threats to the justice system. The website currently highlights the impact that two proposed statewide tax measures would have on Oregon Courts.

Graphic Novel Looks at Jury Duty (November/December 2009)
The third graphic novel in the “Justice Case Files” series from the National Center for State Courts is “The Case of Jury Duty.” Through the story of an 18-year-old’s jury service, readers learn how meaningful jury service is to the citizens who serve, how the jury system is a source of accountability for courts, and how our society benefits from the right to a jury of our peers.

"Supreme Decision" from the Our Courts Project (September/October 2009)
The first of several planned Web-based games offered by the Our Courts project is now online. “Supreme Decision” allows student to play a U.S. Supreme Court justice assisting a justice with a tie-breaking vote in a First Amendment case. The Our Courts project is an educational initiative developed under the leadership of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (Ret.) and designed to teach middle school students about the Constitution and the courts.

Trial By Jury: What’s the Big Deal? (July/August 2009)
The State Bar of Georgia has produced an animated video for high school civics classes entitled "Trial By Jury: What's the Big Deal?" The 18-minute video reviews the history and importance of trial by jury, how citizens are selected for jury duty, the role of the juror, and the importance of an impartial and diverse jury.

Justice Case Files 2: The Case of Stolen Identity (May/June 2009)
The National Center for State Courts has released the second volume in its series of graphic novels aimed at educating the public about how the justice system works. The Case of Stolen Identity focuses on one of the fastest-growing crimes in this country—identity theft. It is intended to promote a better understanding of how our courts protect our citizens.

Justice O'Connor's Our Courts (March/April 2009)
Developed through the leadership of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (Ret.), a kid-friendly website called Our Courts is aimed at reengaging school children in civics education—understanding how their government works and how they can participate in it. The site currently offers resources for teachers to use in incorporating civics into their curriculum. Online games will be added to the site in the summer of 2009.

Our Courts Colorado (January/February 2009)
In 2007, the Colorado Judicial Institute and Colorado Bar Association created Our Courts, which provides non-partisan information programs about the courts to adult audiences. Since making its first presentation in October 2007, Our Courts has given presentations to more than 120 audiences totaling more than 4,500 audience members. Its success has resulted in inquiries from courts in other states, and in August 2008, Our Courts received a letter from Justice Sandra Day O’Connor commending it on its “remarkable” success. Click here to read more about this groundbreaking program.

PSAs on Judicial Elections (November/December 2008)
For the 2008 judicial elections, the League of Women Voters teamed up with the Justice at Stake Campaign and state leagues in Alabama, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas to air PSAs to drive traffic to their voters' guides, specifically to the information about judicial candidates. The radio PSAs ran in the last 8 days before the election and urged voters to visit league websites for information about judicial candidates and other nonpartisan information.

MCBA Jury Assembly Project (October 2008)
The Martin County Bar Association and the Florida Bar Foundation have produced a thirteen-minute video on the importance of a fair, impartial, and independent judiciary and the role of the separation of powers in our government. The video offers a refresher course in civics and is shown throughout the state to prospective jurors who report for jury service. The video was developed with assistance from Indian River Community College.

Justice Case Files: The Case of Internet Piracy (September 2008)
New from the National Center for State Courts, Justice Case Files: The Case of Internet Piracy is a graphic novel designed to educate the public about how our courts work, how judges make decisions, and how courts are accountable to the law. Accompanying lesson plans for teachers are also available.