WHO WE ARE
• Discovering Justice was founded in 1998 with the support of the
federal judiciary at Boston’s John Joseph Moakley U.S.
Courthouse and the Boston Bar Foundation.
• Discovering Justice is a civic and justice education nonprofit
organization housed in the Moakley Federal Courthouse in
Boston.
WHAT WE DO
• We offer innovative in-school, afterschool, and courthouse
programs that teach elementary and middle school students
about the justice system, the role of law in a democratic society,
and the fundamental importance of good citizenship.
• Our mission is to prepare young people to value the justice
system, realize the power of their own voices, and embrace civic
responsibility by connecting classrooms and courtrooms.
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Overview
Tours of John Joseph Moakley U.S. Federal
Courthouse
Ages 10+
Tuesday – Friday between 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
1 hour
Courthouse Tours afford the public
opportunities to learn about the court system
and the history, art, and architecture of this
magnificent building from volunteer docents.
The tours welcome people into the courthouse
and demonstrate how these buildings are
centers of education and civic life. The program
demystifies the justice system and shows visitors
that courthouses truly belong to the public.
• Literacy-based civic education
curriculum
• 12-16 weeks in grades K-5
• Minimum 16 weeks in grade 6
• Grades 7 & 8 to come
• DJ provides teaching guide,
informational texts, historical
fiction, and a field trip
• Frameworks aligned with
Common Core and
Massachusetts History and Social
Science Frameworks
Overview
• In this 11-week afterschool experiential
legal program, middle school students
become trial lawyers.
• Students work with volunteer attorneys to
prepare cases that tackle age-appropriate
legal issues.
Goals
• To introduce students to the U.S. Justice
System and conflict resolution
• To develop students’ critical thinking skills
• To develop students’ public speaking skills
• At the end of the program, students try
cases in real courtrooms before actual
judges and juries made up of community
members.
Overview
• In this 11-week afterschool
experiential legal program, middle
school students are transformed into
appellate lawyers.
• Working with a team of volunteer
attorneys, students delve into the Bill
of Rights and explore how
constitutional protections apply in
public schools.
• At the end of the program students
argue their cases in real courtrooms
before Appellate Panels made up of
judges and senior attorneys.
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Discovering the Bill of Rights draws middle
school students into the midst of the judicial
process. In a real courtroom, students learn
about the Bill of Rights and U.S. Supreme Court
cases, then develop and present an appellate
argument based on a landmark Supreme Court
case before a lawyer presiding as judge.
Overview
Tour and mock appellate argument
Grades 6, 7, and 8
Tuesday – Friday mornings
90 minutes
Materials Needed
• Student Booklets
• Robe for judge
• Teacher and volunteer script
Teacher Preparation
• Teacher should review the provided script, the Bill of Rights,
and the appeal process.
• Teacher should also setup classroom to look like a courtroom.
This activity can be done with one teacher, but it is preferable
to have two adults co-facilitating the activity. One adult will
assume the role of facilitator and the other the judge. If you
know any lawyers or judges, this activity would be a great way
to engage them with your class.
1. A simulation activity
introduces students to the
facts of their case and
provides the foundation
for a general review of
the Bill of Rights and a
close reading of the First
Amendment.
Case Descriptions
Both cases focus on the 1st Amendment, student speech and social media.
LAYSCHOCK v. HERMITAGE SCHOOL
DISTRICT
KOWALSKI v. BERKELEY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Justin Layshock, a 17 year- old senior, created an
offensive fake MySpace page for his high school
principal, Eric Trosch and then showed it to his
classmates and allowed them to access it. When
principal Trosch learned about this page, he
questioned Justin, who admitted to creating it
and apologized to Trosch. Justin was suspended
for ten days, placed in an alternative education
program, and prevented from participating in all
extracurricular activities including his graduation
ceremony for violating the School District’s
discipline code. Alleging that his First
Amendment rights had been violated, Justin
(through his parents) filed suit in federal district
court and continued to argue the case when it
was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Third Circuit.
Kara Kowalski, a senior in high school, made a
MySpace page dedicated to ridiculing a fellow
student using offensive language and pictures.
She invited classmates to post comments on it
and respond to content posted on the webpage.
When the parents of the targeted student
learned of the Myspace page, they filed a
harassment complaint with the school. Kara was
suspended for five days, given a 90 day social
suspension and prevented from participating in
some school activities for creating a “hate
website,” in violation of the school policy
against “harassment, bullying, and intimidation.”
Alleging that the School District violated her
First Amendment rights, Kara filed suit in
federal district court and then appealed her case
to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit.
2. Small group work
encourages students to
collaborate in the
development of arguments
that support their client’s
position.
Your turn! In small groups read the
facts of the case and use the guiding
questions to help develop strong
arguments to support your client, either
the school district or the student.
3. Presentation of
arguments by the lead
attorney from each small
group follows a brief lesson
in courtroom procedures. A
teacher or other volunteer
presides over the arguments
and ask questions designed
to help students clarify their
thinking and encourage
debate.
Your turn! Choose one person to present
your group’s best argument. Be prepared for
questions from the presiding judge.
4. Class discussion, led by
the teacher or volunteer,
follows the oral arguments
to explain the outcomes
of the cases and
emphasize how the issues
are relevant to students
today.
If you have a volunteer attorney or judge
participating in this activity, the class discussion is a
great opportunity to have him/her answer questions
about being a lawyer, law school and the courts etc.
Learning Goals
BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS
PROGRAM, STUDENTS WILL:
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Identify important rights protected under
the Fourth Amendment;
Learn the facts of a U.S. Supreme Court
case based on those rights;
Apply the Fourth Amendment to the facts
of the case;
Understand that the challenge of
implementing the Bill of Rights is finding
the balance between the rights of the
individual and the needs of government;
and
Make connections between the Bill of
Rights and their own experiences.
Teacher Testimony
• When asked why they bring their
students, teachers commented:
– “It is an amazing experience to see the
students engage in actual [constitutional]
rights arguments.”
– “To give them perspective on how a
courtroom functions and to hear first
hand experiences from people in the law
profession.”
– “It is a great connection to our unit on
the US legal system for my 8th grade civics
class.”
Teacher Testimony
• When asked if they saw a
change in their students after
participating in DBR, teachers
said:
– “They love it and have a better
understanding of how the Bill of
Rights effects their everyday
lives.”
– “Students are more aware of the
process when discussing cases that
apply to different areas of law.”
– “I saw greater appreciation for the
content taught in class.”
Student Testimony
• When asked what they enjoyed
about participating in DBR,
students said:
– “It was cool learning about the
courthouse and saying what I
think about the case!”
– “It was interesting to see the court
in action, especially when you are
arguing your side. ”
– “It was fun to experience
something new and get a look at
how the court system works.”
Contact Us!
• Ann Gogol, Associate Director,
agogol@discoveringjustice.org
• Marieljane (MJ) Bastien, Legal Programs Associate,
mjbastien@discovering.org
Prepare young people to value the justice system, realize the power of their own
voices, and embrace civic responsibility by connecting classrooms and
courtrooms.