Law, Youth and Citizenship

Helpful Links

Advocating Your Way Into Adulthood

The purpose of this online booklet is only to provide you with factual information about the law and legal issues.  It is not legal advice; the book does not take the place of an attorney. You should obtain a lawyer’s advice when necessary, regarding the issues discussed in this booklet. This booklet, authored by Annie Rody-Wright, Esq., is published by the New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth and Citizenship Program (LYC). The mission of the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program is to facilitate and enrich the civic commitment, and involvement in democracy, for all New Yorkers. At the core of the LYC mission is the promotion of broader public knowledge and understanding of the Constitution and the promotion of civic education, civic engagement and political civility.  The following LYC Committee members contributed to the editing and revising of this First Edition: Paul Bailey, Esq., Michele Horan, Esq., Lisa Lewis, Esq., John A. Williamson Jr., Esq. © 2013

American Bar Association  

The mission of the ABA Division for Public Education is to promote public understanding of law and its role in society.

American Bar Association Law Day 

Each year on May 1st, Law Day provides an opportunity to reflect on our legal heritage, the role of law, and on the rights and duties which are the foundation of peace and prosperity for all. Throughout New York State, bar associations and other law-related organizations sponsor events to recognize the contributions of citizens, lawyers and judges. This can be in the form of visits to classrooms, recognition of lawyers and non-lawyers for volunteer service, special lectures, essay contests, etc.

Civic Commons 

The Civic Commons is a civic engagement utility and consultancy serving community leaders, institutions and the growing desire of citizens to be engaged and empowered on key civic decisions.

Congress for Kids  

Learning about the federal government doesn’t have to be boring. Congress for Kids gives access to interactive, fun-filled experiences designed to help learn about the foundation of our federal government and how its actions affect you. Although designed for students in grades fourth through high school, other students, teachers, parents, and interested citizens will find helpful, engaging activities, too.

ConSource 

ConSource is a free online library of constitutional history. It digitizes and cross-references source documents written by individuals who drafted, ratified, and influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments. Outstanding source of primary documents.

Foundations of Democracy  

Foundations of Democracy is an interdisciplinary curriculum based on four concepts fundamental to understanding constitutional democracy: authority, privacy, responsibility, and justice. Grades K-12.

iCivics 

iCivics is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. iCivics is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support. Current resources on the site include: quality online lesson plans and links to teaching resources. These resources, written and compiled by classroom teachers, are practical solutions to classroom needs. For students, there are interactive features where students can tell each other and Justice O’Connor about their opinions and their civic participation.

Justice Resource Center 

The Justice Resource Center (JRC) is a public/private partnership established in 1991, whose mandate is to develop, implement, replicate and evaluate law-related education projects which impact positively on the school age population in the United States. Programs throughout NYC, including Mock trial and We the People.

Mock Trials (Elementary K-6)  

ABA scripted trials based on children’s stories.

National Council for the Social Studies 

Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy. The mission of National Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators.

New York Council for the Humanities 

Community Conversations promotes thoughtful, engaged community dialogue, using a short text and a facilitator from the local community. Our civic life is a shared endeavor that requires the informed participation of all citizens. Community Conversations provide arenas in which people come together for thoughtful discussion and dialogue about shared values as Americans—past, present, and future.

New York State Court System 

Information about the courts and legal system for educators and students. Courtroom guides, historical case synopses, publications and activities are featured as well as links to other law-related organizations and government agencies.

New York’s Path Through History 

The Path Through History website is an interactive tool to plan a day trip, weekend getaway or extended vacation that explores New York State’s rich history and culture.

Newspapers in Education 

Newspapers in Education is a worldwide effort in which school textbooks and teaching materials are supplemented with the use of the local newspaper. The habit of reading a newspaper provides the necessary practice to build reading and writing skills and develop an interest in the welfare of one’s community–valuable skills and attitudes to carry students through life.

Now That You’ve Turned 18 Booklet

The New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section has produced this publication, available to parents and senior high school students to give them an overview of their basic legal rights and responsibilities.

Project PATCH – Northport 

Project P.A.T.C.H., Participatory Awareness Through Community Help, is based at Northport-East Northport School District, under the leadership of educator David Scott. Summer institutes and student events are held every year.

Robert H. Jackson Center 

The Jackson Center is an educational institution, and offers several activities, programs and resources for teachers, students, educators, and community members. Working with educators and students is at the heart of the Robert H. Jackson Center’s mission to preserve the legacy of Robert H. Jackson’s life work.

SweetSearch 

SweetSearch is a search engine for students. It searches only the thousands of websites that its staff of research experts, librarians and teachers have evaluated and approved when creating the content. It evaluates search results and “fine-tunes” them, by increasing the ranking of websites from organizations such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, PBS and university websites.  SweetSearch helps students find outstanding information, faster. It enables them to determine the most relevant results from a list of credible resources, and makes it much easier for them to find primary sources.

Teaching Tolerance 

Founded by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation’s children. It provides free educational materials to teachers and other school practitioners in the U.S. and Canada. Its magazine is sent to 450,000 educators twice annually, and tens of thousands of educators use our free curricular kits. More than 5,000 schools participate in our annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day program.

Understanding Cyberbullying in College  

Tips, Tools & Solutions for Recognizing and Stopping Bullying on Social Media and Online.

We the People

Nationally acclaimed civic education program administered by the Center for Civic Education.