|
LEGAL LIVES
A member of my staff
received the following question: “My son, who’s a fifth-grader, told
me a DA had been in his classroom to present a lesson on the law.
Can you tell me more about this and also whether it’s happening in
The assistant district attorney’s classroom visit was part of my office’s Legal Lives program, which brings the criminal justice system into approximately 250 Brooklyn fifth-grade classrooms. I founded Legal Lives in 1990 in response to a drastic increase in drug-related and bias crimes, most notably the infamous “Howard Beach” case in which a young African-American male was killed after being forced onto the Belt Parkway by a group of local white youths. The Legal Lives program is predicated on my firm belief that preventing crime is as important as prosecuting it once it has occurred. According to educators, fifth-grade classrooms are an ideal place to start implementing that strategy.
The Legal Lives program works as follows. Assistant district attorneys from my office collaborate with teachers to present a specialized, law-related curriculum every other week. Lessons in the curriculum examine the facts of actual cases, including crimes such as drug and gun possession, acts of bias, shoplifting and gangs. Students role-play the facts of the cases, respond to questions that are related to the crimes, learn elements of the law pertinent to their age group, and participate in mock trials. Ultimately, the discussions focus on the choices made by the characters in the lessons.
Lessons taught in the classroom are reinforced by a number of other features, including trips to the courts, an interactive weekly radio show and an end-of-year mock trial competition. During their court visits students have the opportunity to observe court proceedings and talk with judges. The weekly radio show, “Ask the DA,” is broadcast on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on WNYE 91.5 FM. Students appearing on the show present one of the Legal Lives lessons. At the end of the lesson, other students have the opportunity to call in and ask questions or share their views. The annual mock trial competition affords students the opportunity to compete while playing the roles of judges, attorneys, witnesses, and jurors.
The Legal Lives
program has been replicated in schools across the state and country. For
more information, |
||
| | HOME | ||
__________________________________________Ask
the DA