Offers a midterm report on United States Supreme Court Cases. The cases dealt with voting rights, affirmative action, jury bias, the handicapped status of AIDS victims, religious holidays for teachers, and political spending of nonprofit corporations. (JDH)

Provides a lesson plan on the issue of distributive justice, or fairness in the ways things are distributed among individuals and groups. Includes a student reading concerning a proposed guaranteed standard of living. Proposes an activity that calls for student discussion of a constitutional amendment that would offer such a guarantee. (SG)

Discussing civil and criminal law, state and federal courts, and law in the workplace and marriage, this article provides a quick look at legal issues apt to be important to the average person. The article demonstrates how student's lives, work, and families are affected by the law. (GEA)

Prepared as a Law Day speech for the State Bar of Texas, this article examines law and lawyers in the United States, past, present, and future. Includes sections on the adversary system, the legal profession, historical legal theory, and the rule of law. (GEA)

Describes an Illinois state law test which is constructed to promote discussion and debate about topics which directly affect students and other citizens. Provides questions which can be used as a basis for tests in any state and includes a discussion guide which answers test questions according to Illinois state law. (GEA)

Presents a definition matching exercise for students. Offers a list of 20 law-related terms and accompanying definitions. (SG)

Asks what questions would help understand the relationship between culture and legal systems. Argues that one approach is to examine problems or disputes common to various legal traditions. Proposes using the issue of human rights in the Basic Law of Germany as a case study. (CFR)

Presents a lesson on famous trials for middle and high school social studies classrooms. Asks the students to choose and research an important historical or contemporary trial and to explain its significance to the past and the present. Gives a list of famous trials and an accompanying handout. (CMK)

Maintains that, because definitions of justice are elusive, students should study the differences between the traditional Western concept of justice and the more recent Critical Legal Studies view. Presents a secondary-level lesson comparing these two conceptualizations of justice. (CFR)

Discusses drug and alcohol abuse by young people and outlines federal and state laws that deal with the problem. Describes the more popular drugs and their effects and lists the warning signs of abuse. Provides information about organizations that help abusers and their families. (GEA)

Focuses on the importance of developing public appreciation for and association with the law. Argues that positive incentives to abide by the law are consistent with democratic values and supported by learning theories and child development research. Concludes that democracy works best when its citizens act according to their own will. (CFR)

Asserts that cultural differences and the media provide inaccurate impressions of both Islamic law and Euro-American law. Describes the historical background of Islamic law and the struggle between forces of fundamentalism and reform. Argues that the 2 legal systems have converged in the past 40 years. (CFR)

Examines the role of children with regard to the law, with emphasis on their rights within the home. Examines various rights that kids and parents have at home and whether granting or denying certain rights is fair. Topics discussed include whether minors can get medical treatment on their own and their sexual and reproductive freedom. (DB)

Provides a structure for inquiry into human nature and ways to perceive and control behavior. Promotes understanding of political systems, explaining they are based on beliefs about human nature. Outlines activities in which students write position papers and debate the issues. Includes questions for classroom discussions and handouts. (NL)

Presents a lesson designed to analyze cultural practices from the perspective of U.S. laws. Proposes a legal philosophy continuum ranging from universalist to relativist positions. Provides student handouts that present legal case studies involving cultural contexts. (CFR)