Tag Archives: law related education

Two #Resources for #Teachers Regarding #Civics #Education

Published January 18, 2022 / by Latia Ward

Two resources of interest for teachers of civics and social studies are the 60-Second Civics podcast from the Center for Civic Education and lesson plans from the ABA Division for Public Education.

The podcast 60-Second Civics is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education which aims to help students “develop an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy”. Each podcast lasts about one minute and may be accessed via the Center for Civic Education’s website, iTunes, or Stitcher. The podcast covers both historical and current topics such as the Declaration of Independence and recent U.S. Supreme Court cases. The website also includes a searchable database of podcasts.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Division for Public Education provides free lesson plans for use in K-12 classrooms at its website. The ABA Division for Public Education’s mission is “to advance public understanding of law and society.” Here is a sample of the lesson plans available: “What Makes a Good Judge,” “Modern Day Human Trafficking,” “Music Distribution and Copyright,” and “Introduction to the First Amendment.”

The 60-Second Civics podcast from the Center for Civic Education and lesson plans from the ABA Division for Public Education are only two of the myriad civics resources available for educators. Review social media hashtags such as #civics, #civcsed, #civicseducation, #socialstudies, and #lawrelatededucation for additional ideas and resources.

#FlashbackFriday #LawDay Celebrating Law Day Past, Present, and Future

Published November 29, 2019 / by Latia Ward

Each year, the American Bar Association (ABA) chooses a different theme pertaining to democracy and civics for the annual commemoration of Law Day.

 

Law Day 2020

Law Day 2020

The theme for Law Day 2020 is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy:  The 19th Amendment at 100.”  A message from current ABA President Judy Perry Martinez, more information about this year’s theme, Law Day Artwork, and a sign-up option to receive Law Day updates are available at the ABA’s Law Day Website.  As we look forward to the upcoming Law Day on May 1, 2020, I thought it would be beneficial to look back to previous Law Days.

The theme for this year’s (2019) Law Day was “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society.”  During my first term as Chair of the ABA YLD Public Education Committee, the theme for Law Day was “The Fourteenth Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.”   Part of my work as Chair included being the YLD Law Day Team Leader for 2017 and publicizing the 2017 Law Day Art Contest.  In 2018, I provided a short summary of the origin of Law Day and a list of Law Day resources for that year’s Law Day Theme “Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom” in a blog post.  

The ABA maintains a list of past Law Day Themes dating back to 1969.  Bar associations often plan Law Day events.  Contact your local bar association to see if it has Law Day events planned.  The ABA maintains a list of Bar Directories and Lawyer Finders.  Consult this list if you are seeking contact information for a bar association in your area.  Law Day will soon be here and let’s stay tuned for upcoming events.

 

#ThrowbackThursday Civics Education

Published June 20, 2019 / by Latia Ward
Title Slide for How to Be Safe on Social Media Presentation available on the SlideShare website.
Here is the title slide for How to Be Safe on Social Media. All five lessons or activities are available on SlideShare.

Regarding #ThrowbackThursday reminiscences, I choose to reflect upon Practical Life Lessons. From my teaching experience and participation in activities of my local bar association, I saw a need for civics education resources that are both practical and accessible. For a service-learning project, I taught lessons on civics and digital citizenship to high school students in the spring of 2015. Each lesson included a short lecture, time for questions and answers, as well as time for students to provide written feedback in the form of exit tickets. I included a lesson on rights and responsibilities for those turning 18 and directed students to the North Carolina Bar Association publication, Life & Laws 101: Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Over 18. During that lesson, the students were quiet and listening so attentively that one could hear a pin drop.

I prepared lessons on the following topics:

How to Be Safe on Social Media

Never Leave Your Luggage Alone at the Airport

Rights and Responsibilities Upon Turning 18

The Right to Remain Silent

A Diamond Is Forever and So Is Email

During the last four years, I have continued working in the field of civics education and found that people need resources for civics education even beyond high school. I have served as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division Public Education Committee of the American Bar Association (2016-2018) and spoken about what librarians can do to facilitate access to justice at CALIcon19. I may do a blog post on librarians and access to justice in the future, but for now, it’s nice to remember the origins of my interest in civics education.

Save the Date! Law Day: May 1, 2018

Published January 1, 2018 / by Latia Ward

As we get closer to May 1, 2018, educational institutions, bar associations, and community organizations will host programs for students and the general public to commemorate Law Day.

 

ABA YLD Law Day Art Contest Logo. Separation of Powers Triangle.

The theme for Law Day 2018 is Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom. lawday.org

Overview

On February 3, 1958, President Eisenhower, proclaimed May 1, 1958 as Law Day. In 1961, Congress, enacted a law, permanently making May 1st of every year as Law Day and mandating a Presidential proclamation for each Law Day (36 U.S.C. 113).

The American Bar Association’s  Division for Public Education provides resources for lawyers, teachers, and the general public in keeping with the current year’s theme for Law Day. The theme for Law Day 2018 is Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom.

Resources for Law Day 2018 are available at lawday.org.

The Division for Public Education also makes available the themes, proclamations, and dialogues from past Law Days at its website.

Last year, the theme for Law Day was “The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.” People may view the 2017 Planning Guide,  Dialogue, and Presidential Proclamation at the website of the Division for Public Education.

Art Contest

Each year, the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) hosts an art contest for students in grades 9 through 12 (or the equivalent) in the United States. Students may compete as individuals or in groups. Information regarding contest rules and guidelines may be accessed at ambar.org/lawday.

Events

State and local bar associations plan events for Law Day and if you would like to see if a bar association in your state has planned or is planning Law Day events, consult the ABA’s directory of state and local bar association resources.

The Division for Public Education recognizes the most creative Law Day events. The Utah State Bar won the award for Best Theme Interpretation.  Friends of City Heights Library won the Best Public Program Award.  The Orange County Bar Association won the Best Student Program Award.  The ABA Division for Public Education has listed last year’s Law Day 2017 Outstanding Activity Award Finalists on Instagram.

I hope that you will save the date of May 1, 2018 and get involved in Law Day programs in your communities. The Division for Public Education’s website includes instructions for signing up for its Law Day 2018 listserv.

Participating in Law Day events is as easy as one-two-three:

  1. Sign up for the Division for Public Education’s Law Day Listserv.
  2. Follow the hashtags #lawday and #lawday2018 on social media.
  3. Get involved with the planning of a Law Day event in your area.

So, follow the above three steps and review the following resources as you make plans for Law Day 2018.

Resources

United States

Law Day 2018 – ABA Division for Public Education
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/initiatives_awards/law-day.html

2018 ABA YLD Art Contest
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/initiatives/law_day_art_contest.html

What is Law Day? A Primer – ABA Law Student Division
https://abaforlawstudents.com/2017/05/01/law-day-primer/

History.com’s (http://www.history.com/) This Day in History – May 1st.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-eisenhower-proclaims-law-day

Judicial Learning Center’s Law Day Lesson Plans
http://judiciallearningcenter.org/law-day-lesson-plans/

Federal Bar Association’s Resources for Civics Education
http://www.fedbar.org/Outreach/Civics.aspx

Street Law, Inc.’s Law Day Resources for Teachers
http://streetlaw.org/en/newsroom/Article/541/May_1_is_Law_Day_Resources_for_Teachers (based on last year’s theme)

United States Courts’ Law Day
http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/annual-observances/law-day (based on the 2016 theme)

International

The Canadian Bar Association’s Law Day Webpage
http://www.cba.org/For-The-Public/Law-Day

Rule of Law Institute of Australia
https://www.ruleoflaw.org.au/

Contact the Web Developer!

Published October 19, 2017 / by Latia Ward

I am unveiling a brand new contact page for the Civics Guide website.

The contact page includes information on how to contact the web developer (me) through email and social media.  The official Civics Guide social media accounts are also available on the contact page, so be sure to follow Civics Guide on social media!

If you have questions or comments regarding the website and law-related education, feel free to contact me! 🙂

ABA Involvement

Published August 11, 2016 / by Latia Ward

I am thrilled to be taking on two leadership roles within the American Bar Association for the 2016-2017 bar year: Chair of the Young Lawyers Division Public Education Committee and Leader of the Young Lawyers Division Law Day Team.

The ABA YLD Public Education Committee has a website where we will post current issues of our electronic newsletter and updates regarding events.

Last week, the ABA announced the 2017 Law Day Theme: “The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.” Soon, the Law Day 2017 website will have resources for educators and the general public. If you are interested in this year’s Law Day theme, “Miranda: More Than Words,” information resources are available at the Law Day 2016 website. The ABA YLD Law Day Art Contest is in its sixth year and the work of first and second place winners may be viewed at the page for the 2016 ABA YLD Law Day Art Contest.