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The L&J curriculum is helping students look at the law and themselves
3 Jan 2013
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Welcome to Law and Justice

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

Empower Students
The program empowers young people to solve problems, develop innovative solutions, and take civic action as members of the "fourth branch" of the U.S. 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 supports educators in implementing an inquiry- and project-based approach to teaching.
Advance Democracy and Promote Justice
We collaborate with youth, educators, legal practitioners, and communities to help promote equal justice and uphold the principles of democracy.

The Law and Justice program includes innovative curriculum and research-based professional development. It is comprised of two courses: Foundations in Law and Foundations in Criminal Justice.

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 James Irvine Foundation as part of its Linked Learning initiative. Professional development services are provided by Education Development Center, Inc.