“Supreme Court Simulation Project”



“Supreme Court Simulation Project 2013”Student Free Speech, Student Religion, or Student Search & Seizure CaseTOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS PER STUDENT: 250!!Project Objectives:Students will be able to:1. Understand the application of the theories of interpreting the Constitution, as presented in class.2. Evaluate, analyze, and apply that understanding to cases involving student free speech rights, student religious rights, and student search & seizure rights in public school.3. Successfully represent your student-client or school-client before the U.S. Supreme Court (Sabino H.S. style), by presenting your arguments to the Court and responding to questions from the Justices.Process and Allocation of Points:1. Students will be divided into law firms.2. Law firms will be assigned either the student free speech case, the student religious rights case, or the student search & seizure case, and will be assigned to represent either the student(s) or the school in each case.3. Members of the law firm will be given computer lab time to conduct the necessary legal research and to prepare your arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Law firm members should spend time over the weekend doing work on this project.) (50 points possible for computer lab/prep work)4. Arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court will start in about 7 days from now (exact date will be determined). It is anticipated that it will take 3 class periods to give each law firm the chance to argue before the Court. Cases will be argued based on lottery selection; we will start with a student free speech case, and then have a student religious rights case, then student search & seizure case, then back to free speech case, etc., etc., until all law firms have presented their arguments. (75 points possible for argument/presentation to the Court)6. Each member of the law firm will be individually graded based upon their work and participation in the research and arguments/presentations portion of this project. (50 points possible for overall performance of law firm/group work) 7. Each member of the law firm will be required to submit a written brief (essay) setting forth their arguments and supporting legal analysis (using the appropriate case law), for grading. (75 points possible for written brief) Each student’s essay only has to address the Supreme Court case the student is responsible for and address how that case applies, or doesn’t apply, to the facts of the school case you are working on. In essence, your essay should be written as if you were going to read it to the Supreme Court Justices to convince them your argument is correct or better than the other side’s argument.8. “Winning” law firm for each argument: each law firm member receives 25 extra credit points. Instructions for Law firms working on the student free speech case: (Both for the student and the school)1. Each member of the law firm must thoroughly read and understand the facts involved in the school case.2. Each member of the law firm must read the following sites from the “Exploring Constitutional Law” website that is posted on Ms. Smith’s American Government website, and understand the information provided in these sites.A. Introduction to the Free Speech ClauseB. What is “Speech”?C. Free Speech Rights of Students3. Law firm members must divide up the work and decide who will be responsible for the Supreme Court cases that are identified on the Free Speech Rights of Students site. These are the cases you will rely on in making your arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court:A. Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Community School District B. Bethel School District No. 403 v. FraserC. Hazelwood School District v. KuhlmeierD. Morse v. Frederick4. Using the facts of your school case and the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the above cases, you will write arguments on behalf of your client that you will use during the presentations/arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court, and be prepared to answer questions from the Justices. It is important that you understand the decisions reached in each Supreme Court case, and sometimes, you may have to distinguish the case from the facts in your client’s school case. You can have notes or bullet points to use for the presentations/arguments, but you must submit a written brief (essay) of your arguments with supporting legal analysis for grading, as noted in the general instruction sheet on the Supreme Court Simulation Project.Important details:1. You are playing the role of a lawyer, play the part well. You, and your law firm, have a client to represent before the U.S. Supreme Court and your client wants to win. If you do a bad job, you don’t get paid, or your pay will not be very good, i.e., your points on this assignment.2. The only way you have a chance at “winning” is by being prepared, knowing your school case thoroughly, and knowing the applicable U.S. Supreme Court cases, and how they may or may not apply to the facts of your school case. You MUST put more effort into this project that you have in any other project we have done so far. 3. The Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will be classmates. They will be provided with a summary of each case, as well as a list of “suggested questions.” They WILL ask you questions and expect you to be able to answer them correctly. Just as any lawyer would, you must treat the Justices with respect. (Remember the Supreme Court proceeding excerpts we listened to in class)4. I will be supervising and monitoring your work and progress during the computer lab days and classroom prep day. As always, I will help you with understanding this project, but YOU are responsible for doing the work. This assignment requires you to do a lot of reading, analysis, and evaluation. I am confident you can do a great job.5. You are free to use any additional resources to help you represent your client, including, other U.S. Supreme Court cases you believe might help you, other Internet sources, parents, grandparents, etc.Instructions for Law firms working on the student religious rights case: (Both for the students and the school)1. Each member of the law firm must thoroughly read and understand the facts involved in the school case.2. Each member of the law firm must read the following sites from the “Exploring Constitutional Law” website that is posted on Ms. Smith’s American Government website, and understand the information provided in these sites.A. Introduction to the Establishment ClauseB. Prayer/Religion Rights in the Public SchoolsC. Student-Initiated Religious Speech3. Law firm members must divide up the work and decide who will be responsible for the Supreme Court cases that are identified on the Prayer in the Public Schools site. These are the cases you will rely on in making your arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court:A. Engel v. Vitale B. Wallace v. JaffreeC. Lee v. WeismanD. Santa Fe Indep. School Dist. V. Doe4. Using the facts of your school case and the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the above cases, you will write arguments on behalf of your client that you will use during the presentations/arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court, and be prepared to answer questions from the Justices. It is important that you understand the decisions reached in each Supreme Court case, and sometimes, you may have to distinguish the case from the facts in your client’s school case. You can have notes or bullet points to use for the presentations/arguments, but you must submit a written brief (essay) of your arguments with supporting legal analysis for grading, as noted in the general instruction sheet on the Supreme Court Simulation Project.Important details:1. You are playing the role of a lawyer, play the part well. You, and your law firm, have a client to represent before the U.S. Supreme Court and your client wants to win. If you do a bad job, you don’t get paid, or your pay will not be very good, i.e., your points on this assignment.2. The only way you have a chance at “winning” is by being prepared, knowing your school case thoroughly, and knowing the applicable U.S. Supreme Court cases, and how they may or may not apply to the facts of your school case. You MUST put more effort into this project that you did in any other project we have done so far. 3. The Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will be classmates. They will be provided with a summary of each case, as well as a list of “suggested questions.” They WILL ask you questions and expect you to be able to answer them correctly. Just as any lawyer would, you must treat the Justices with respect. (Remember the Supreme Court proceeding excerpts we listened to in class)4. I will be supervising and monitoring your work and progress during the computer lab days and classroom prep day. As always, I will help you with understanding this project, but YOU are responsible for doing the work. This assignment requires you to do a lot of reading, analysis, and evaluation. I am confident you can do a great job.5. You are free to use any additional resources to help you represent your client, including, other U.S. Supreme Court cases you believe might help you, other Internet sources, parents, grandparents, etc.Instructions for Law firms working on the student search & seizure case: (Both for the students and the school)1. Each member of the law firm must thoroughly read and understand the facts involved in the school case.2. Each member of the law firm must read the following sites from the “Exploring Constitutional Law” website that is posted on Ms. Smith’s American Government website, and understand the information provided in these sites.A. Right of Privacy (Read of general understanding of privacy rights, not the cases)B. Due Process Rights of StudentsC. Student Searches3. Law firm members must divide up the work and decide who will be responsible for the Supreme Court cases that are identified on the Due Process Rights of Students (1 case), and Student Searches (2 cases) sites. These are the cases you will rely on in making your arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court:A. Goss v. LopezB. New Jersey v. T.L.O.C. Safford Unified School District v. ReddingD. Board of Education v. Earls4. Using the facts of your school case and the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the above cases, you will write arguments on behalf of your client that you will use during the presentations/arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court, and be prepared to answer questions from the Justices. It is important that you understand the decisions reached in each Supreme Court case, and sometimes, you may have to distinguish that case from the facts in your client’s school case. You can have notes or bullet points to use for the presentations/arguments, but you must submit a written brief (essay) of your arguments with supporting legal analysis for grading, as noted in the general instruction sheet on the Supreme Court Simulation Project.Important details:1. You are playing the role of a lawyer, play the part well. You, and your law firm, have a client to represent before the U.S. Supreme Court and your client wants to win. If you do a bad job, you don’t get paid, or your pay will not be very good, i.e., your points on this assignment.2. The only way you have a chance at “winning” is by being prepared, knowing your school case thoroughly, and knowing the applicable U.S. Supreme Court cases, and how they may or may not apply to the facts of your school case. You MUST put more effort into this project that you did in any other project we have done so far. 3. The Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will be classmates. They will be provided with a summary of each case, as well as a list of “suggested questions.” They WILL ask you questions and expect you to be able to answer them correctly. Just as any lawyer would, you must treat the Justices with respect. (Remember the Supreme Court proceeding excerpts we listened to in class)4. I will be supervising and monitoring your work and progress during the computer lab days and classroom prep day. As always, I will help you with understanding this project, but YOU are responsible for doing the work. This assignment requires you to do a lot of reading, analysis, and evaluation. I am confident you can do a great job.5. You are free to use any additional resources to help you represent your client, including, other U.S. Supreme Court cases you believe might help you, other Internet sources, parents, grandparents, etc. ................
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