MARSHALL-BRENNAN CONSTITUTIONAL LITERACY PROJECT
UNM LAW CHAPTER
FELLOW APPLICATION – FALL 2015
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The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, named in honor of
Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan, Jr., is a civic
education program that sends law students to teach constitutional law in local
underserved high schools and culminates in a moot court competition featuring
the participating high school students. The Project is headquartered at the
American University’s Washington College of Law and has chapters at law
schools throughout the nation.
The University of New Mexico School of Law began hosting the program
starting in the Spring 2012 semester and has mobilized law students to teach high
school students at a number of underserved area high schools each semester since
then. The Project is now seeking law students to serve as Marshall-Brennan
Fellows for the Fall 2015 semester. This document provides basic information on
the program and an application for law students interested in joining as Fellows.
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The program enables UNM Law students serving as Marshall-Brennan
Law Fellows to take ownership over constitutional law material, serve as
ambassadors for the law school in area high schools, develop strong academic and
mentoring relationships with local high school students, and demonstrate the law
school’s commitment to service in the community. Law Fellows teach weekly in
high schools. Another group of law students are Outreach Fellows, conducting
several one-time presentations at area high schools or other programs serving
youth during a semester.
Those who join the program as Law Fellows for the Fall 2015 semester
will also enroll in the accompanying seminar taught by adjunct Professors
Matthew Bernstein and Preston Sanchez, in coordination with Professor Yael
Cannon. This course will involve two graded credits for the seminar portion and
one ungraded credit for fieldwork for the teaching portion. The Fellows will teach
the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project high school course together
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in teams with other Fellows, and are expected to share teaching responsibilities
and support one another. Fellows may have to undergo background checks by our
host high schools. All Fellows are expected to be present when the high school
class meets, and are not permitted to switch off days. That said, team-teaching
allows for flexibility in the classroom to the extent an emergency arises and
precludes a Fellow from teaching a particular class.
Fellows will use the national Marshall Brennan textbooks and also work
together to develop supplementary materials. Fellows will develop lesson plans,
assign grades, keep attendance, and may hold parent-teacher conferences.
Moreover, a number of resources used by other Project chapters are available to
Fellows. For example, the casebook has a teaching manual that contains a
breakdown of chapters, quizzes and other exercises.
Fellows will also work together to plan other activities, such as
Constitution Day activities at the law school for high school students and a
regional moot court competition. They will also work together to prepare, coach,
and support any high school students from the program who may be selected to
compete in the national Marshall Brennan moot court competition.
In light of the classwork, necessary prep time, travel time, and the weekly
seminar, the time commitment for this program can be significant. Some high
school classes may take place at the law school, while others may be onsite at our
partner high schools. Fellows who teach at a high school must find their own
transportation.
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The application to become a Marshall-Brennan Fellow requires 1) a
completed application form, 2) a personal statement, and 3) a resume. The
application form and accompanying personal statement and resume must be
submitted, in hard copy, to Professor Cannon’s faculty mailbox in the main office
by 5:00pm on Friday, April 24, 2015. Early applications are encouraged, and will
be reviewed as they are submitted. Selected applicants may be invited to
interview with Professor Cannon and/or current Fellows. While the program is
competitive, we try to accommodate students who demonstrate their sincere
interest in and commitment to the program.
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MARSHALL-BRENNAN FELLOW APPLICATION FORM
SPRING 2015 TERM
I. Information
1. Name:
2. Address:
3. Telephone:
4. Email Address:
5. Current Law School
Year:
1L
2L
3L
6. Year of Birth:
7. Do you have a car?
Yes
8. Are you interested in teaching:
No
weekly as a Law Fellow (enrollment in
accompanying seminar required) OR
Fellow
one-time presentations as an Outreach
9. If you checked in #8 above that you wish to teach weekly as a Law Fellow,
please initial here to indicate that you have registered already or will register in
the accompanying seminar for Fall 2015, the Marshall Brennan Constitutional
Literacy Seminar, 53347-LAW-593-034, as required ______
II. Personal Statement
Please describe your interest in the Project, any experiences that may be relevant,
and why you would like to serve underserved high school students. The personal
statement must be limited to 500 words.
III. Resume: Please attach your resume
Hard copies of all materials shall be submitted together,
by 5pm on Friday 4/24/15,
to Professor Cannon’s faculty mailbox in the main office.
Early applications are appreciated and encouraged.
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