Welcome to Law and Justice

Developed by Education Development Center, Inc., the Law and Justice Program aims to achieve the following goals:

Empower Youth
The program empowers young people to think critically and solve problems, develop innovative solutions, and take civic action as productive members of society and of the "fourth branch" of the government.
Foster Change
The curriculum helps students develop knowledge and skills to contribute to and improve the legal and criminal justice systems, as youth now and as professionals tomorrow.
Improve Education
Professional development and technical assistance support educators in implementing inquiry- and project-based teaching and learning and help schools adapt the program to align with local context. 
Advance Democracy and Promote Justice
We collaborate with educational institutions, legal practitioners, communities, NGOs, and policy makers by working to integrate principles of equal justice, democracy, and human rights with education.

The Law and Justice program includes innovative curriculum and research-based professional development/technical assistance. It is comprised of two courses: Foundations in Law and Foundations in Criminal Justice. It is geared for secondary schools and can be adapted for after-school programs, community colleges, juvenile centers, and community-based settings. For additional information, contact Eliza Fabillar at efabillar@edc.org or Jessica Juliuson at jjuliuson@edc.org.

Recent Announcements

Foundations in Law

Foundations in Law helps students understand why we live under the rule of law, and how laws are created, enforced, interpreted, and changed. The course enables students to examine diverse areas of law, including criminal, civil, constitutional, and international. It also explores civil rights issues and the role of advocacy, civics, and the media in our legal system.

Students are encouraged to consider these topics through several lenses:

Foundations in Criminal Justice

Foundations in Criminal Justice provides students with a broad overview of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Students learn about historical developments and current practices in criminal law, corrections, and the courts.  Throughout the course, they explore the meaning of crime and justice, and the relationship between criminal justice and social justice.

Students examine course material through several lenses:

The Law and Justice curriculum is available at no cost. It is funded by the the James Irvine Foundation as part of its Linked Learning initiative. Professional development services are provided by Education Development Center, Inc.