Recap: ABA’s 28th National Law-Related Education Conference
October 30, 2013
Share this Article
Under the shadow of the government shutdown in October, about 100 teachers, professors, lawyers, judges, and civic education professionals met in Atlanta to discuss the importance of law-related education for students. The prolonged stalemate in government illustrated the critical need for preparing young people to be active citizens equipped with the skills needed to engage in civil discussions and solve problems.
Street Law’s Lee Arbetman, Megan Hanson, and Deborah Foster presented at the 28th National Law-Related Education Conference organized every other year by the American Bar Association Division for Public Education.
- Megan presented a session on teaching about Town of Greece vs. Galloway, an upcoming Supreme Court case about whether prayer before a legislated session violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
- Lee led a session on the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index and how it can be integrated into social studies courses.
- Deborah shared information about Street Law’s Youth in Transition program which connects volunteers from law firms and corporations with underserved youth populations—including those in foster care, the juvenile system, or in homeless/runaway programs.
Other highlights included a discussion about how law related education can meet the Common Core State Standards and the new College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies. The Tinker Tour, a bus campaign led by free speech icon Mary Beth Tinker to encourage young people to be active in their schools and communities, also made an appearance.
The next conference to look forward to is the 93rd National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in St. Louis at the end of November!
