Law and the U.S. Legal System
Syllabus
Course Essential Questions:
- How does the legal system safeguard rights of citizens and residents in the United States?
- How does the development and interpretation of laws evolve over time to reflect society's values?
- Does the law allow society to settle legal disputes more efficiently?
Course Learning Objectives:
- Compare and contrast the roles of criminal and civil law in the American legal system.
- Interpret how the amendments in the Constitution are integrated into the rights of citizens
- Explain how the federal and state court system allow for legal disputes to be settled
- Describe various perspectives and interpretations on American civil and criminal law
- Evaluate if U.S. law embodies democratic values and principles into the legal system
Week 1: Getting Started
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are the rules, policies and expectations of this course?
- How do I want to be treated and how do I want to treat others as I interact with my teachers and classmates?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of you as a contributing member of our learning community.
- Begin to build community by sharing important information with your teacher and classmates about yourself and your school, and creating a social contract together for guidelines on interacting throughout the class.
- Develop your skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools.
Unit 1: The Law (Weeks 2-4)
Week 2: Foundations of Law
Weekly Essential Questions
- What is the basis of American law?
- How does society determine which acts are crimes?
- What is the role of law in society?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Examine how the US Constitution and Bill of Rights form the foundation of American law.
- Compare and contrast the consensus and conflict models.
- Explain how laws generally protect members of society.
Week 3: Classifying Law
Weekly Essential Questions
- How does classifying criminal law differentiate the seriousness of a crime?
- Why are criminal offenses categorized by levels of degree?
- How do the principles of mala in se and mala prohibita differentiate criminal acts?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe how misdemeanors and felonies determine the seriousness of a crime.
- Explain how degrees denote the severity of a crime.
- Differentiate between crimes mala in se and mala prohibita.
Week 4: Types of Crime
Weekly Essential Questions
- How is crime categorized within society?
- How are public order crimes reflective of community values?
- Why does society overestimate the presence of violent crimes?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify and explain the five main categories of crime.
- Analyze how community values impact public order crimes
- Evaluate why society overestimates the presence of violent crimes
Unit 2: Criminal Law (Weeks 5 & 6)
Week 5: Body of a Crime
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are the elements in the body of a crime?
- How is the principle of strict liability built into the American legal system?
- What is the overarching purpose behind hate crime legislation?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify the elements that make up the body of a crime.
- Describe how strict liability holds criminals' responsibility for illegal acts regardless of their intent
- Explain how hate crime laws seek to protect select classes of society from crimes
Week 6: Criminal Defenses
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are justification and excuse defenses?
- How does the legal system differentiate between excuse and justification defense?
- How is sanity determined and measured in criminal law?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain commonly used criminal justification and excuse defenses
- Describe how intent differs between excuse and justification defenses
- Analyze the use of the M'Naghten rule, ALI/MPC test, and the irrestible-impulse test are utilized to determine and measure insanity
Unit 3: The Court System (Weeks 7 & 8)
Week 7: Criminal vs Civil Law
Weekly Essential Questions
- Why does the legal system distinguish civil and criminal law?
- What are the characteristics of civil and criminal law?
- How does the standard of proof differ for civil and criminal law?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe the differences between civil and criminal law
- Differentiate the components of civil and criminal law
- Explain the difference between the preponderance of the evidence and beyond a reasonable doubt standards of proof
Week 8: The Courts
Weekly Essential Questions
- How are state and federal courts structured in the legal system?
- Where do courts derive their authority from?
- When does a case come before the Supreme Court?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Differentiate between trial and appellate courts
- Compare and contrast geographic and subject-matter jurisdiction
- Explain how the rule of four is a component of the appeals process
Unit 4: Juvenile Law (Weeks 9 & 10)
Week 9: Students’ Rights
Weekly Essential Questions
- How is the legal standard to search students different in school?
- How are students' rights to privacy limited in schools?
- What Constitutional protections do students maintain in school?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how the reasonableness standard applies to students in school
- Analyze how students' Fourth Amendment rights are more constrained in school
- Describe specific rights maintained by students in school
Week 10: Juvenile Systems
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are major differences between juvenile courts and adult courts?
- What functions do adjudicatory hearings and disposition hearings play in the juvenile court system?
- How is diversion a central component within the juvenile court system?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Compare and contrast juvenile courts and adult courts
- Explain how adjudicatory hearings and disposition hearings are a major component of the juvenile court system
- Analyze how diversion plays a role for juvenile defendants
Unit 5: Trial (Weeks 11-15)
Week 11: Pre-Trial
Weekly Essential Questions
- What factors influence whether a prosecutor takes a case to trial?
- How does plea bargaining influence the legal system?
- What role does a grand jury play prior to a trial?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe how various influences impact whether a case goes to trial
- Explain the role of plea bargaining in the criminal justice system
- Analyze the grand jury's function in the indictment process
Week 12: Steps in a Trial Part I
Weekly Essential Questions
- Who are the parties involved in a courtroom trial?
- How are members of a jury selected?
- What types of prosecution and defense strategies are employed during trials?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain the role of defense attorneys and prosecutors in the criminal justice system
- Describe how an impartial jury of one's peers is chosen
- Compare and contrast strategies used by the prosecution and defense attorney
Week 13: Steps in a Trial Part II
Weekly Essential Questions
- What types of evidence and testimony are permissible during a trial?
- What role do lay witnesses and expert witnesses play during a trial?
- How does a jury reach a verdict?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Compare and contrast different types of evidence presented at trial
- Describe the difference between lay witnesses and expert witnesses
- Explain the jury deliberation process at the end of a trial
Week 14: Prisons and Sentencing
Weekly Essential Questions
- What factors impact the sentence handed down by a judge?
- What types of punishments can be imposed by a judge?
- How is the level of security determined by the type of prison?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain the influences that affect the sentencing of defendants
- Describe the various punishments available in the legal system
- Compare and contrast minimum, medium, and maximum-security prisons
Week 15: Careers in Law and Course Reflection
Weekly Essential Questions
- What careers exist within the U.S. legal system?
- What are the educational and background requirements of careers within the U.S. legal system?
- How effective is the U.S. legal system at settling civil and criminal disputes?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Research career opportunities in the U.S. legal system
- Explain the education and background needed for careers in the U.S. legal system
- Analyze the effectiveness of the U.S. legal system in solving civil and criminal matters in society