When many of us think of law, certain images come to mind. Tacky personal-injury lawyers in low-budget commercials. “Judge Judy,” “My Cousin Vinny” or “CSI.” Old ladies suing McDonalds over spilled coffee. But there’s a lot more to the law than what we see on TV, and the law affects us all in ways we might not even notice. Our goal this year is to untangle the law and legal system, exploring how it impacts our lives. In the process, we’ll use our critical-thinking, communication and creative skills to examine where laws come from, why we have them, how they work, how fair they are, and how we can better exercise our legal rights and responsibilities.

I. Topics of Study

I. Introduction to Law
II. Lawmaking, the Courts and the Role of Lawyers
III. Crime and Criminal Law
IV. Criminal Procedure and Punishment
V. Juvenile Justice
VI. Accidents, Injuries and Compensation
VII. Discrimination Law and Workplace Rights
VIII. 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, Property and Privacy Rights
IX. Additional Legal Topics

II. Expectations

1. Students will follow all classroom rules:
• Be on time for class. If the door is shut when you arrive, you are tardy.
• Be prepared for class. Complete any warmup immediately upon arrival.
• Contribute meaningfully and behave respectfully in class.
• Put away all electronic devices and food during class.

2. Bring all required Materials
• Folder or binder for handouts (to be kept in order).
• Notebook or loose-leaf paper for notes (to be kept in order).
• Pen and/or pencil.

III. Grading/Assessments

Your performance will be assessed on a straight point system based on the following criteria:

1. Quizzes: There will be an announced quiz after each unit. These quizzes could consist of multiple-choice questions, short answers and/or document-based questions. If you score less than 80 percent on a unit quiz, you may retake it. Your ultimate score will be capped at 80 percent. 2. Homework/Projects: You will do a variety of projects and homework assignments both in class and outside class throughout each quarter. Daily homework will consist of reading, handouts or short written assignments, which will periodically be collected and/or checked. Reading assignments will often be assessed by a reading quiz or graded warm-up ("Do Now") exercise at the start of class the next day.

Unless otherwise specified, homework assignments and collected warm-ups will be assessed as follows:

3 points Shows strong effort and understanding of the material
2 points Shows some effort and understanding of the material
1 point Shows little effort and understanding