The purpose of this course is to provide  students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the field of JURISPRUDENCE, the study of law.  The students will be empowered through law-related education (LRE), a unique blend of substance and instructional strategies designed to teach about law, democratic principles and processes, and simplifed rules of evidences and procedure.

These strategies will promote problem solving, critical thinking, cooperative learning, improved communication and conflict resolution skills, and the ability to participate effectively in society as citizens who are cognizant of their civic duty and responsibility.

PRIMARY SOUCES:

Arbetman, Lee P. and O'Brien, Edward L.  Street Law: A Course in Pratical Law.  Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2005.

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution.  California: Center for Civic Education, 1995.

                                                FIRST SEMESTER

First   9-Weeks:  Students will be introduced to the field of JURISPRUDENCE, the study of law and legal philosophy.  During this introductory phase, they will become cognizant of the various definitions of law, and lawmakers on the federal, state and local levels of government.  They will also differentiate between civil and criminal law, and the state and federal court systems.

Selected SMSH students, consisting of both former and current law students, will begin preparations for the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League competition.  Working with M-DPS Division of Life Skills and the UM School of Communication, the students will engage in public policy debates, designed to assist students with reading comprehension, critical thinking, research, argumentative skills and public speaking skills.

Second 9-weeks:  Students will prepare for the annual We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution simulated congressional hearings through a comprehensive review and analysis of six units:

•  What are the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system?
• How did the framers create the Constitution?
• How did the values and principles embodied in the Constitution shape American institutions and practices?
• How have the protection of the Bill of Rights been developed and expanded?
• What rights does the Bill of Rights protect?
• What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy?

The primary goal of this program is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's students. The program, by enhancing students' understanding of the history and foundations of the institutions of American  constitutional democrary, provides contemporary relevance of  the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students must "testify" before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to reevaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.