Law related education is ideas and ideals taught within other disciplines. It is taught in some form in nearly all classes. LRE is a process in which students learn to become better citizens. It is about real issues and how they affect real people. It is fun to teach and students love coming to classes, which contain LRE lessons. It is a proven way of improving students’ self-image, their attitudes and knowledge. These exciting and effective teaching methods small group work, mock trials, simulations, case studies, and the use of outside resource people in the classroom. It uses lesson plans already developed and classroom ready so that teachers do not have to spend valuable time developing their own.

• American Bar Association Coalition for Justice: The ABA’s Office of Justice Initiatives is a clearinghouse for information about court improvement efforts of all kinds. www.abanet.org/justice
  

• American Bar Association Division for Bar Services: The ABA’s Bar Services Division has contact information that will help individuals involve their state or local bar association in Law Day activities of all kind. www.abanet.org/barserv/stlobar.html
  

• American Bar Association Division for Media Relations and Communication Services: This website provides an online media kit on “Justice for Sale” and includes media releases, images, and audio on the issue of campaign contributions to judges. www.manningproductions.com/ABA245/OMK/main.html
  

• American Bar Association Division for Public Education: This is a law links page where you can access federal, state and international information. www.abanet.org/publiced/home.html
  

• American Bar Association Division for Public Education: Also included as part of the ABA’s Division for Public Education is a website that provides information about volunteer opportunities in education for grades K-12 as well as links to state and national programs, publications and resources. www.abanet.org/publiced/youth
  

• American Bar Association Ensuring Judicial Independence: This resource kit contains judicial independence materials from a variety of sources. However, unless specifically stated, materials do not necessarily represent the official policy of the ABA. www.abanet.org/judind/resourcekit/home2.html
  

• American Bar Association Judicial Division: The ABA’s Judicial Division has a “Judges Network” program to harness the power of successful judicial outreach efforts across the country. The Judges Network and its website offer the opportunity to make a difference in a community and to share best practices with a national audience. www.abanet.org/jd/judgesnetwork.html
  

• American Bar Association Public Education Law Day Planning Guide: This resource provides sample programs that list more than 100 models of good Law Day programs around the country. Dozens of lessons, covering a range of topics, for all grade levels are also included. www.lawday.org
  

• American Bar Association Technical Assistance Bulletin: The ABA Division for Public Education website has a Technical Assistance Bulletin that can be downloaded. www.abanet.org/publiced/tab17.pdf
  

Links on Creating Anti-Bias Classrooms

• The Anti-Defamation League: The Anti-Defamation League provides materials to assist teachers in creating anti-bias classrooms, history of hate crime, and current information about national and international race bias issues. www.adl.org/adl.asp
  

Links on Character Building/Conflict Management

• Center for Civic Education: The Center for Civic Education is committed to promoting a responsible citizenry by actively engaging grade school students and adults in the practice of democracy. The Center specializes in civic/citizenship education, law related education, and international educational exchange programs for developing democracies. This website provides information and resources for teachers who are interested in conducting a simulated congressional hearing in their classroom. www.civiced.org
  

• The Character Education Partnership: The Character Education Partnership website is an on-line resource that would be most useful for educators interested in developing or improving a character education initiative in their school or district. A host of links to character education resources and materials are available.www.character.org
  

• Conflict Mediation Programs-CRU Institute: This website provides information to educators on how to teach young people effective ways to resolve conflict and to develop ways to cooperate with others. Information includes curriculum created by professional mediators, teacher and parent training information and articles written about peer mediation and its effects on individual development. http://www.cruinstitute.org
  

• The Constitutional Rights Foundation-Chicago: The Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago helps schools foster schools foster critical thinking skills and responsible civic action in students. Non-profit and non-partisan, (CRCF) has been leader in the design and implementation of quality law-related education (LRE) programs for elementary and secondary school students and their teachers. It offers a wealth of information on a variety of law related education issues. Archival information on Landmark Supreme Court Decisions is also available. Support materials for mock trials and moot court are also provided. This website also provides information for educators on how to instill an understanding of citizenship to students. It suggests ways to educate young people on how to become active and responsible citizens. www.crcf.org
  

• Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management: This website of the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management provides information on how to resolve disputes in a nonviolent way. Topics include negotiation and mediation skills and links to other resources that assist individuals in dealing with conflict are also provided. http://www.state.oh.us/cdr/index.htm
  

• The Scholastic Teacher Resource Center: The Scholastic Teacher Resource Center website is dedicated to providing resources to educators that help them teach character building and values to their students. Topics include peer mediation and bullying. http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/todayschild/comeback.htm
  

• Southern Poverty Law Center: “Teaching Tolerance” is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It provides videos and lesson plans and also offers small grants to teachers for classroom projects that promote tolerance and celebrate diversity. www.tolerance.org
  

General Law Related Education Links

• American Civil Liberties Union: The American Civil Liberties Union offers a variety of law related materials for teachers of all grades.www.aclu.org
  

• Basic Readings in United States Democracy: This website of the U.S. Department of State International Information Programs features the full text of a variety of readings in U.S. History including the Declaration of Independence, several Supreme Court cases and ordinances. Usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/demo
  

• Dictionary/Translations: This online dictionary, established in 1996, provides a variety of definitions and historical information on any word or legal term. It also includes translations from a variety of languages. www.1000Dictionaries.com
  

• Encyclopedia Britannica: This website allows people to search for information on all topics. Britannica publishes a review covering notable people and events of every year. This website also includes timelines, a world atlas and “A Biography of the Day” which features information about a famous person who was born on that particular day. http://www.britannica.com
  

• The Encyclopedia of Law and Economics: The Encyclopedia of Law and Enconomics website provides an online version of the reference work that attempts to survey law and economics literature. Most of the literature included contains a review by an authority in the field and a complete bibliography. The Encyclopedia includes 172 downloadable chapters. http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~gdegeest/tablebib.html
  

• The Family Education Network: The Family Education Network provides definitions for a variety of legal terms and describes the consequences of breaking laws in an easy to understand way. It also provides interesting facts about our world including events, science, math and sports. http://www.factmonster.com
  

• Law Dictionary: This online legal dictionary provides several definitions for any specific legal term. Definitions may be searched for by typing in the word or phrase or by clicking on the first letter. This website also connects people to legal publications including The American Lawyer, The National Law, New York Law Journal and Legal Times. http://dictionary.law.com

• Law for Kids Project of Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education: The Law for Kids website provides legal information for children about the fifty states and describes how laws vary nationwide. It includes age appropriate stories, cartoons, games and additional links to law related topics. http://www.lawforkids.org
  

• The New York Times Learning Network On the Web:This resource provides an archive of hundreds of free lesson plans for teachers of grades 6 – 12 on a variety of subjects including civics, current events, language arts and social studies. The New York Times in Education Program also provides curriculum guides for teachers of grades 6 – 12. http://nytimes.com/learning/teachers
  

• style='color:black'>Social Studies School Services: This website highlights a variety of topics such as citizenship, the importance of voting, and regional information/issues about the country. Maps and free lesson plans are included for teachers to use in the classroom. www.socialstudies.com
  

Links on Judicial Independence

• American Judicature Society: This website of the American Judicature Society has a very large section on judicial independence. www.ajs.org
  

• The Constitution Project: The Constitution Project website is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that seeks consensus on controversial legal and constitutional issues through scholarship and activism. This website offers resources on its Court Initiative which conducts public education on judicial independence. www.constitutionproject.org/newtoolbox/index.html
  

• Find Law for Legal Professionals: This website provides a multifaceted look at judicial review, citing relevant Supreme Court cases and scholarly debates. Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article03/13.html
  

• The Judicial Independence Project: This website discusses ways to combat threats to the independence of the judiciary. www.billofrightsinstitute.org
  

• Justice at Stake Campaign: This website defines judicial independence and describes a national partnership whereby organizations are working for fair and impartial courts. www.justiceatstake.org

Links on the Law, the Courts and the Constitution

• The Bill of Rights Institute: The Bill of Rights Institute offers free lesson plans, a monthly online newsletter, and a summer institute for teachers www.brennancenter.org
  

• The Constitution Society: Landmark Supreme Court decisions can be found at this site dating back to 1794, which includes the decision that determined that a jury had the power to judge law in bringing a general verdict. www.constitution.org/ussc/isscdeci.htm
  

• Courtroom Information Project (CIP): The Courtroom Information Project provides courtroom participants with the visual and technological information they need in preparing for trial in any participating courtroom in the United States via the web. www.courtroominformationproject.org
  

• Federal Judicial Center: This website of The Federal Judicial Center provides full text of the Judiciary Act of 1789 which established the federal court system. It also provides full texts of the Acts of 1801, which reorganized the federal judiciary and established circuit judgeships, and of 1802, which abolished the circuit judgeships and reorganized the federal courts. Air.fjc.gov/history/legislation frm.html
  

• The History of Jim Crow Laws: This website provides the history of Jim Crow laws and provides teachers with lesson plans and monthly updates on new materials concerning this topic. www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm
  

• Marbury v. Madison: This website provides evidence that through the landmark case, “Marbury v. Madison (1803)”, the Supreme Court asserted its power of judicial review. Supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme court/landmark/marbury.html
  

• “Marbury v. Madison (1803).” This website features Landmark Supreme Court Cases and is a project of Street Law and the Supreme Court Historical Society. It contains a wealth of resources and activities designed to help educators teach the case. www.landmarkcases.org/marbury/home.html
  

• Marbury v. Madison The James Madison Center: “Marbury v. Madison (1803).” The James Madison Center at James Madison University includes general information and commentary about the case and its major players. www.jmu.edu/madison/center/index.htm
  

• National Center for State Courts: The National Center for State Courts has posted state-by-state information about efforts to bolster public trust and confidence in the justice system. This website provides information and assistance to court leaders that helps them better serve the public. “Quick Links” and a list of online resources that contain overviews, research reports, best practices and publications are also provided. www.ncsonline.org
  

• The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education: The Ohio Center for Law Related Education offers educational materials geared toward teachers that focuses on various aspects of the court system. http://www.oclre.org
  

• Street Law: A Course in Practical Law: Street Law is a curriculum for students in grades 9-12 that focuses on practical application of the law. This website lists a variety of textbook resources and curriculum guides that provide lesson plans for teachers. Links to specific Law Related Education (LRE) topics that relate specifically to middle and high school students include conflict management, community safety, democracy and human rights. www.streetlaw.org
  

• Street Law Online Interactive Text: This website provides the online text of Street Law: A Course in Practical Law, which provides curriculum that focuses on practical application of the law for high school students. Topics include citizen advocacy, the court system and methods for settling disputes. It provides a vast amount of information on legal terms, topics and real world applications. This is an excellent educational resource that provides background information on any legal topic. http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/street_law/index.php
  

• Street Law & Supreme Court Historical Society: Developed by Street Law and The Supreme Court Historical Society, this website provides several resources, activities and lessons related to key Supreme Court cases and concepts mandated by state standards. Teaching recommendations, background summaries and questions are provided for several land mark cases. www.landmarkcases.org
  

• Supreme Court Decisions sponsored by Cornell University Law School: This website is a Supreme Court collection of all current and historic decisions sponsored by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell University Law School. www.law.cornell.edu/rules
  

• The United States Constitution Online: This website provides the text of the U.S. Constitution in a variety of forms that can be easily understood by children in grades K – 12. It provides a basic definition of the Constitution, an explanation of how it works and its history. This resource can be used by all educators who wish to teach this topic. http://www.usconstitution.net/
  

• United States Department of Justice: The United States Department of Justice website offers a link entitled, Justice for Kids and Youth, that provides information on civil rights and courtroom procedures appropriate for children in grades K-12. http://www.usdoj.gov/
  

• USA Patriot Act: This website of the U.S. Department of Justice was createdm to educate Americans about how life and liberty can be preserved by using the Patriot Act. www.lifeandliberty.gov

• Youth Education: This website of Washington State Government Information and Services provides a section for children on law and courts. http://access.wa.gov/kids/courts.asp
  

Links on Legal Careers

• Careers in the Law: These websites can be used as resources for mentoring opportunities and educating students about careers in the law. www.americaspromise.org and www.jobshadow.org
  

Links on The Pledge of the Allegiance

• Center for Education in Law and Democracy (CELD): This website provides resources and lesson ideas sponsored by the center for Education in Law and Democracy (CELD). Its purpose is to assist teachers as they develop lessons for their students on the Pledge of the Allegiance. Other topics include the history and meaning of the pledge, the branches of government, public policy issues, and judicial reasoning as it relates to the pledge. Cartoons are available as a resource to teach about this topic. www.lawanddemocracy.org
  

School Safety/Improvement Links

• The National Resource Center for Safe Schools (NRCSS): The National Resource Center for Safe Schools provides information and materials related to school safety. The website highlights popular topics such as prevention and intervention strategies for juvenile delinquency and offers information on creating drug free school environments. http://www.safetyzone.org
  

• National Youth Court Center: This website of the National Youth Court Center offers ideas on training volunteers and provides a host of links to youth courts around the country. www.youthcourt.net
  

• US Department of Education: This website, “Teacher/Pathfinder An Educational Internet Village”, sponsored by the US Department of Education, provides links to resources on how to improve education. Some of the resources included at this site are: The Improving America’s School Act of 1994 and other publications of the US Department of Education including Improving Child Care and Schools and Strong Families, Strong Schools. Statistics on trends of the well being of American youth compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics are also provided. http://teacherpathfinder.org
  

• Youth for Justice: This website addresses the risks of young people in America and provides research on how Law Related Education (LRE) programs can potentially reduce delinquent behaviors. Resources from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention included on this website are intended to promote law related education and help organizations develop and enhance their programs. www.youthforjustice.org
  

Links on US Foreign Policy Issues

• Choices for the 21^st Century Program: Choices for the 21^st Century is a project of the Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Institute for International Studies at Brown University. The project has created 15 units on contemporary and historical US foreign policy issues. Each unit includes background information, descriptions of options available to the US and extensive teaching suggestions. Recent units are titled “Keeping the Peace in the Age of Conflict: Debating the US Role and Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy. www.choices.edu
  

Voting Links

• Black Youth Vote: Black Youth Vote is a coalition to increase voter participation through an intensive effort to empower African American youth through political education. www.bigvote.org/byv.htm
  

• The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE): Since 2001, CIRCLE has conducted, collected, and funded research on the civic and political participation of young Americans. CIRCLE is based in the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy and is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. www.civicyouth.org
  

• Close-Up Foundation: Close-Up Foundation is a civic education organization designed to encourage responsible, informed participation in the democratic process. It offers a variety of issue-oriented booklets on social and international affairs that contain background information and a debate section. Special editions of the booklets adapt the materials for lower level readers and for Spanish speaking students. www.closeup.org
  

• The League of Women Voters: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. www.lwv.org
  

• The League of Women Voters Democracy Net: DNET is an interactive platform designed to improve the quality of voter information and create a more educated and engaged electorate. www.dnet.org
  

• The League of Women Voters Democracy Net: Smack Down Your Vote is an “apartisan” campaign to encourage young people to become active participants in their democracy and vote. www.smackdownyourvote.com
  

• Rock the Vote: Rock the vote engages youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities. Rock the Vote harnesses cutting-edge trends and pop culture to make political participation appeal to young Americans. www.rockthevote.com
  

• The Voters Project Presidential Youth Debate: The New Voters Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing voter turnout among citizens age 18-24 on Election Day. Ideas and suggestions to increase citizen participation are included. www.newvotersproject.org/
  

• Young Voters/Declare Yourself: Declare Yourself is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign to energize and empower a new movement of young voters to participate in presidential elections. www.declareyourself.com.htm
  

• Youth Vote Coalition: The Youth Vote Coalition is a national nonpartisan coalition of diverse organizations dedicated to increasing political and civic participation among young people. www.youthvote.org/about/about.htm