Justice Resource Center

About the Computer Forensics Program

2110-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Justice Resource Center currently coordinates computer forensics programs in six New York City High Schools. Computer Forensics is an integrated model of law and 21st Century technology.

The computer forensics curriculum equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to solve computer-related crimes, including identity theft and all types of computer fraud. Additionally, the instructional program prepares students to pursue a variety of law-related and technology careers affiliated with this emerging field.

The courses are interdisciplinary and focus on student-centered, applied learning activities and culminating events.

Career & Technical Education

2110-12-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Justice Resource Center (JRC) is a Program Office within the New York City Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE).

As such, JRC offers technical support to law-related programs at roughly 36 high schools around the city. The end goal of JRC's work with law-related programs is state-level certification of all New York City law-related CTE programs.

NYC DOE works with JRC to coordinate the disbursement of federal funds, allocated through the Vocational and Technical Education Act (VTEA), to law-related CTE programs. These funds are vital in the ongoing development of law-related CTE programs.

JRC supports law-related CTE programs in the following ways:

guiding program coordinators (law academy teachers, assistant principals, and principals) through the yearly process of applying for federal VTEA funds
aligning law-related programs to the guidelines concerning successful CTE programs
coordinating work-based learning and internship opportunities for law-related program students
linking school-based law-related CTE programs to law-related industry partners
offering ongoing professional development for law academy teachers
developing law-related curricula and sequences of courses that align with CTE guidelines

For more information about NYC DOE's Office of Career and Technical Education, contact us and visit the CTE page on the DOE's website.

MENTOR

2110-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

MENTOR is New York City's premier collaboration between the law-related industry and the school-age population. JRC, coordinator of MENTOR, pairs leading law firms and corporate legal departments in New York City with local public high schools to support the schools’ curriculum efforts and expose public school children first-hand to the practice and study of law.

Currently, 57 New York firms and legal departments are paired with public schools in connection with MENTOR. MENTOR has been designated by the American Bar Association (ABA) as a “Diversity Pipeline Program.”

The MENTOR program was founded by Tom Evans, a former President of the Federal Bar Council, and is administered by the Justice Resource Center.

MENTOR pairings have developed a wide range of relationships. Some focus on the basic MENTOR program, which typically includes a lawyer's visit to a law or social studies classroom, a lawyer-directed visit to a federal court, and a student's visit to the law firm.

Others have expanded to include such broader activities such as coaching, judging a moot or mock trial and other law-related competitions, assisting teachers in developing law-based curriculum even individual mentoring and employment arrangements. The precise scope and nature of each pairing relationship depends entirely on the needs of the school and the desires of the law firm or corporate legal department.

The program yields enormous benefits for both the school children and the law firms and corporate legal departments who participate. Studies over the years have suggested that the MENTOR program, at very little cost, promotes understanding and appreciation of the law, the development of career focus and knowledge about the commercial world, and an increase in student morale, attentiveness and attendance. Law firms and corporate legal departments - including not only the junior lawyers who have tended to maintain the greatest number of contacts, but also senior lawyers and support staff who have become involved - have also been extremely enthusiastic about their school pairings.

Over the past few years, our waiting list of New York schools hopeful of forging pairings has steadily expanded, so that six schools are now waiting for a law firm or corporate legal department to match itself with them. Participation carries almost no cost, and only a relatively small amount of time! Please contact JRC for more information.

JRC Plans First-ever International Moot Court Competition

2011-10-26T06:47:00.001-07:00

The Justice Resource Center, in partnership with the City Hall of the Hague, and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA), in conjunction with the International Bar Association (IBA-England), has developed the first International high school Moot Court competition.

The International Moot Court is an outgrowth of the nationally acclaimed MENTOR: law firm/school partnership program. MENTOR, which was created in the 1980s, pairs major law firms with New York City public high school students. The lawyers-partners and associates help students prepare for an appellate argument. Countless hours are spent analyzing and dissecting judicial opinions, as well as honing oral advocacy skills.

The International Moot Court is the next step in this remarkable partnership. This competition will afford high school students an exceptional opportunity to argue at The Hague, to develop an in-depth knowledge of the International Criminal Court, to gain a heightened respect for international law, and an opportunity to exchange ideas with students from other countries.

27th Annual Mentor Moot Court Competition Underway

2011-10-03T15:14:00.000-07:00


Debra Lesser, JRC Director, addresses the audience.

Attorneys and teachers from over 40 Mentor law firms and high school law programs assembled at Fordham Law School today for the 27th Annual Mentor Moot Court Competition kick-off luncheon.

The luncheon is the start of the Moot Court Competition, one of the premier law-related competitions in New York City.

For additional details, please contact JRC. Best of luck in the competition!

Federal Bar Council and JRC Co-sponsor Federal Court Visits Program

2011-04-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Federal Bar Council’s Public Service Committee, in conjunction with the Justice Resource Center, sponsors the Federal Courts Visit Program for high school students. Each court visit includes approximately 30 students, guided by an attorney from their MENTOR law firm. Students have the opportunity to visit the federal courthouse, watch a court proceeding and meet with a federal judge in chambers.

JRC and the Federal Bar Council maintain a strong partnership in this worthy program for Law Cluster students. For more information, please contact JRC.

New York City Teams Earn Honors at Statewide We the People Finals

2011-03-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

March 5, 2011

The 2011 installment of the New York State "We the People" Finals included four teams from NYC high schools. The competition, held today in Albany, featured regional We the People winners from around the state competing for the top spot and a trip to Washington, DC for the National We the People Finals in April.

While the competition's highest prize went to a Long Island school, NYC schools distinguished themselves.

Forest Hills HS placed second overall. See an article praising the team in the latest edition of the Queens Chronicle.

James Madison HS placed third overall.

Edward R. Murrow won the Unit Award, the top prize for each individual unit of the We the People curriculum, for Unit 4.

St. Francis Preparatory School won the Unit Award for Unit 2.

Congratulations to the students, teachers, and parents of all the NYC schools that participated in We the People this year!

Bronx HS of Science Triumphs at Moot Court Final Round

2011-01-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

Participating students received gavels and plaques.

The 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Competition ended in victory for the Bronx High School of Science, as they narrowly edged Fort Hamilton High School in the Final Round, held December 14, 2010 at the New York State Southern District Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, Manhattan.

Bronx High School of Science, 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Champions

Students from 6 other high schools, including Sheepshead Bay High School (pictured below), attended the Final Round. Three United States Magistrate Judges presided over the contest.

Sheepshead Bay High School, 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Semifinalist

Fort Hamilton HS, 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Runners-up

Congratulations to Bronx Science, 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Champions, and congratulations to the forty other high school MENTOR Moot Court teams that participated in the competition this year! We thank you for your effort, and we look forward to the competition next year!

300 Students Participate in We the People Competition

2011-01-12T12:54:00.001-08:00

JRC, citywide coordinator of the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution program, held the 2011 NYC competition at Pace University on Friday, January 7.

Roughly 300 students from 8 NYC high schools participated in this premier high school civic education showcase, with James Madison HS earning the overall highest score.

Over 40 volunteer judges, from a variety of local organizations, including NYC DOE, the New York Law Department, and Pace University, and others, presided over the students' presentations.

The format of the competition is as follows: teams of students prepare 4-minute presentations, in a "simulated congressional hearing" format, for each of the 6 Units in the We the People text. Teams of judges rotate from school to school, hearing and scoring the presentations of the same unit for each team. A team's overall score is the total of their scores from each of the 6 Units.

The following schools participated in this year's competition:

James Madison HS, Brooklyn

Forest Hills HS, Queens

Edward R. Murrow HS, Queens

St. Francis Preparatory School, Queens

Townsend Harris HS, Queens

Harry S. Truman HS, Bronx

Midwood HS, Brooklyn

Queens Vocational and Technical HS, Queens

As a culmination of their preparation for the competition, JRC staged an awards ceremony, a lunchtime activity, and served breakfast and lunch for all participants.

We the People is a nationally recognized curriculum published by the Center for Civic Education.

300 Students Participate in Annual We the People Competition at Pace University

2011-01-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

St. Francis Preparatory HS, 4th Place Overall

James Madison HS, Brooklyn

Forest Hills HS, Queens

Edward R. Murrow HS, Queens

St. Francis Preparatory School, Queens

Townsend Harris HS, Queens

Harry S. Truman HS, Bronx

Midwood HS, Brooklyn

Queens Vocational and Technical HS, Queens

Order Student Texts for We the People and Project Citizen

2011-01-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

As part of JRC's ongoing NYC outreach in a number of civic education programs and curricula, teachers are eligible to receive class sets of We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution and Project Citizen student texts.

The texts are paid for with federal dollars, allocated to the Center for Civic Education through the Democracy in Education Act of the US Congress.

Click on the program icons below to access the book order forms. Please contact JRC with additional questions.

Fill out the form and fax it to JRC: (212) 580-5918. Teachers can order one class set (up to 35 texts) per form.

NYC High School Mock Trial: Invitation to Serve as a Volunteer Judge

2011-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

The 2011 NYC High School Mock Trial Tournament is underway! The Justice Resource Center (JRC), citywide coordinator of this premier law-related competition, is currently recruiting volunteer judges for the upcoming competition dates in Brooklyn.

Please see the application form for judges for complete details, including JRC’s email and fax information. If you are available and interested in serving as a Mock Trial Tournament judge, please complete and submit the form at your earliest convenience. Also, please refer this invitation to any interested colleagues.

Volunteer judges who are members in good standing of the New York State Bar Association and are also admitted to the New York State Bar for at least two years are eligible for 3 CLE credits for their service. Past volunteers can receive CLE credits once every two years for their service in the Mock Trial Tournament. Please visit the NYSBA membership page if you have questions regarding your membership status with NYSBA.

PS 122, Astoria, Earns News Coverage for Project Citizen Work

2010-12-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

Students and teachers at PS 122, the Mamie Fay school in Astoria, Queens, received some much-deserved publicity recently for their ongoing work with Project Citizen.

New York 1 spent an entire day at the school recently producing a segment highlighting the incredible accomplishments of students there, whose projects range from successful efforts to pass legislation regarding bus idling to a current project targeting harmful chemical ingredients in household products.

Click here to see the NY1 video.

December 2010

2010-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

After two weeks of preliminary, "Wild Card," quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, we've reached the final round of the 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Competition.

Finalists Fort Hamilton HS and Bronx Science HS will compete Tuesday, December 14, 2010, in the Ceremonial Courtroom at the United States District Court, NY Southern District courthouse.

Congratulations to the finalists, as well as the teachers, attorney-coaches, students, and parents who continue to support them!

Congratulations also to the thirty-nine other high school MENTOR Moot Court teams who participated in this academic competition. You are to be applauded for your hard work!

JRC, NYCLA Co-sponsor 2010 Youth Law Conference, Hosted by Pace University

2010-12-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

In an ongoing effort to link high school law-related programs with industry partners and post-secondary opportunities, JRC and the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) co-sponsored the 2010 Youth Law Conference at Pace University last Friday, December 10, 2010.

Roughly 150 students from law-related academies at 7 NYC high schools attended the event, which featured workshops facilitated by practicing attorneys and a college-readiness presentation led by a variety of Pace University staff and students.

The theme of the 2010 Youth Law Conference was "Rights and Wrongs: What You and the Justice System can do about Discrimination.

Participating students and teachers received a variety of law-related supplemental materials, including NYCLA's Youth Law Manual.

In their conference evaluations, students and teachers gave the experience high marks, particularly praising the workshops facilitated by practicing attorneys.

For more information on this and other programs, please contact JRC.

We The People: The Citizen and The Constitution

2010-12-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

Teachers: In order to receive a free class set of We the People student texts, please access the book order form. Print, fill out, and fax the order form to the Justice Resource Center at (212) 580-5918. Leave the "District Coordinator" and "Event Attended" lines blank. Any questions, please contact us.

“We the People”, a nationally acclaimed program focusing on the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution, enables students to study and display an in-depth understanding of the principles and values of constitutional democracy. Students participate in a Mock Congressional Hearing, debating constitutional issues before members of the legal community.

Our New York City “We The People” program includes a multilingual competition, making it possible for our English language learners to participate. Students speaking an array of languages, including, but not limited to, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish have competed, enabling them to demonstrate their understanding of citizenship.

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution, is published in three levels, to accommodate students of all ages and grade levels.

We the People is a publication of the Center for Civic Education. For more information, please visit CCE's website or contact JRC.

MENTOR Moot Court Final Round: Fort Hamilton HS v. Bronx HS of Science

2010-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

United States District Courthouse,

Southern District, New York

After two weeks of preliminary, "Wild Card," quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, we've reached the final round of the 2010 MENTOR Moot Court Competition.

Finalists Fort Hamilton HS and Bronx HS of Science will compete Tuesday, December 14, 2010, in the Ceremonial Courtroom at the United States District Court, NY Southern District courthouse.

Congratulations to the finalists, as well as the teachers, attorney-coaches, students, and parents who continue to support them!

Congratulations also to the thirty-nine other high school MENTOR Moot Court teams who participated in this academic competition. We applaud your hard work!

JRC and NYSBA Kick Off NYC Mock Trial Tournament

2010-12-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Nearly 100 teachers met to receive the 2011 Mock Trial case.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Justice Resource Center, citywide coordinator of the Mock Trial Tournament, co-hosted the Teachers Orientation session for the competition with the New York State Bar Association's Mock Trial Sub-committee today at the New York County Lawyers Association.

Roughly 100 teachers, from public, private, and parochial high schools in all 5 boroughs, participated in the session. Representatives from NYSBA's Mock Trial Sub-committee delivered a synopsis of this year's Mock Trial Problem, which concerns an allegation of due process violations in the fictional town of Empireville.

Please contact JRC for additional information.

SAR High School Student Testimonials

2010-12-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

Yoni - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Create questions, answers, opening and closings, revise and critique them as a group. Practice role play. Practice after school and on phone conferences.
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? Stressful? Fun?
It is stressful beforehand, but exhilarating when things in the courthouse are running smoothly.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
It has positively impacted my confidence in my abilities. In addition, it has given me the opportunity to display my strengths in a serious and competitive forum.

Rebekah - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Create openings, closings, questions, and answers. Practice after school, phone conferences, role play, practice, practice and more practice.
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? Stressful? Fun?
It is so much fun.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
In school my arguments are articulated and my opinion always known. Mock trial did not impact my career plans.

James - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Go over affidavits
Practice cross and directs
Relax
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? Stressful? Fun?
Exciting, Stressful and fun! How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
Yes - increased academic process. Yes - want to be lawyer

Judah - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Look over affidavits.
Practice cross and directs
Go over objections
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? Stressful? Fun?
It is a lot of fun
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
No it has not

Sarah - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Study affidavits
Analyze the exhibits
Go over directs and crosses over and over
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? Stressful? Fun?
It's exciting and motivating. I love preparing for the trials, feeling confident and then actually getting up there
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
I spend many hours after school in Mock Trial practice which takes away from work time so I don't mind. I don't know yet if it has impacted my career plans.

Fort Hamilton High School Student Testimonials

2010-12-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Marlin - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock trial?
We practice on a regular basis and received legal advice from professional lawyers
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting? I love Mock Trial. I am involved in many activities in my school; however, Mock Trial is the best by far
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted you career plans?
I have wanted to be a lawyer for a while and Mock trail has reinforced this desire.

Kathleen - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Our team Stayed after school several times a week to practice.
We went to the lawyers at least three times every week to go over everything
We met after school to practice
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
Yes it is stressful because most of my free time I have spent at practice but at the competition when we competed it was worth it.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
The only way Mock Trial has impacted my school life is every time we were announced as winners everyone in my class cheered for me.

Amy - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Pep Talk
Meet with lawyers
Help guide fellow members
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
I think it is a combination of all 3. There's nothing better than the rush you get when you are up speaking
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
Made me more ingaged in matters conversational

Kathy - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Practice with the attorneys at the firm
Practice our objections and answering
Practice almost everyday
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
It is a bit stressful but it's worth it. It's fun and exciting to finally compete.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
It further on persuaded me to purse becoming a lawyer.

Erica - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
To prepare for the Mock Trial competition we speak to attorneys. We practice various days throughout the week and we help each other when it comes to objection.
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
Participating in a Mock Trial has been a wonderful experience. It has been really fun and exciting.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
I am more involved with my school. It gives me an opportunity to become a lawyer.

Ledia - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Saturday meetings
After school practice
Meetings at the lawyers
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
Sometimes it can be pretty stressful, but all the times, fun and exciting.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
I have gained more confidence in myself and my work.

Edward R Murrow High School Student Testimonials

2010-12-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Zhen - 2010-06-23

I feel that Mock trail is something that is worthwhile to do. It is hard and challenging, but I think it is very rewarding.

Michael - 2010-06-23

I have been participating in the Murrow Mock Trial team for 4 years now. After 3 coaches and so many cases it has been an amazing experience. I have met most of my friends here as it has become such a powerful aspect of my life. I really am happy that I discovered this great program and there is nothing that can compare.

Anna - 2010-06-23

This is my first year on the Mock Trial team. The first time I went to the court house, I was extremely nervous. I was afraid of letting the whole team down, even though, deep inside, I knew I was well prepared. The experience and all the preparation pays off when you hear that your team gained more points that the other and won the case.

Jason - 2010-06-23

I have been involved in Mock Trial for 2 years and this year probably been the best of them all. Working together with my collaborators has been great and fun. I really love performing as the defendant in my case it helps strengthen my acting skills, and thinking on the spot. I am definitely joining next year's team!!!!!!!

Islam - 2010-06-23

I have been part of the Mock Trial team this year. It is a very interesting experience. I enjoy the challenge, and I like going to court and presenting a case in front of a judge. I think this experience will help me in my future studies and work.

James Madison High School Student Testimonials

2010-12-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Vincent - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Practice at a law firm with trained lawyers
Practice amongst ourselves whenever time permits
Read our affidavits over and over until we know them better than ourselves
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
It's certainly an exciting experience, it feels surreal at times. It certainly is stressful, but in a competitive kind of way, which isn't necessarily bad, but it keeps us on our toes.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
Mock Trial has given me motivation to stay in the law program and succeed in school. I have motivation to actually do well for something other than myself.

Taylor - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
The first thing we do is come up with a theme for our entire case. After we work on every aspect of the case and make sure we have great opening, closing, cross-examinations, and direct-examinations. Last we work on proper speaking and performance.
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
It is very exciting and fun to watch a close model to how the witnesses and lawyers act and perform in the real court of law.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
It hasn't impacted my school life because I still have time to perform well in school. It motivated me more to become a successful lawyer in the future.

Brianna - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
Re-read our affidavits.
Review directs and crosses
Practice Several times a week as a team
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
It is a fun, nerve-racking, wonderful experience.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
It has impacted my school life greatly. I've made great friends and really learned to love the field of law. I would love to be a lawyer when I get older.

Gabrella - 2010-06-23

What are three things you and your teammates do to prepare for the Mock Trial competition?
We prepare directs and crosses as lawyers
We read our affidavits as witnesses
We practice several times a week as a team
Describe your experience participating in a Mock Trial round at the courthouse: is it exciting?
It is a wonderful experience and I am ecstatic to be eligible for such an opportunity. It's nerve-racking but in a good way.
How has participating in the Mock Trial competition impacted your school life? How has Mock Trial impacted your career plans?
Because of Mock Trial I no longer feel nervous about speaking in public. I am confident when I speak which furthers my presentation of information. I know now that I can pick a career that involves speaking in public.

Mock Trial

2010-12-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Mock Trial, New York City's premier law-related competition, involves roughly 100 private, public and parochial schools participating in a multiple elimination round competition. The Justice Resource Center is the citywide coordinator of the program, which is sponsored statewide by the New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth, & Citizenship Committee.

New York City Mock Trial teams are paired with a law firm, a private attorney, or one of the lawyers from the five District Attorney’s Offices, enabling each team to be coached by a practitioner.

During the tournament, students compete at the US District Courthouse, Easter District (Brooklyn), the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, and the New York State Court in Queens. Volunteer attorneys from the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens DA’s offices, as well as the US Attorney's office of New York's Eastern District serve as judges for the competition rounds.

2011 Competition
Welcome to the 2011 New York City High School Mock Trial Tournament! Below are several important links. Also, please see the posts that follow this one for additional information. Please contact JRC with further questions.

2011 Mock Trial Tournament Case Materials
Correction Memo dated December 23, 2010
Correction Memo dated January 18, 2011

2011 Mock Trial Tournament Schedule

Important Forms
Conflict Dates

We are currently developing Mock Trial pages for individual schools on our site. We welcome your input and content! Please contact JRC to develop your Mock Trial team's page.

SAR High School
Fort Hamilton High School
Edward R Murrow High School
James Madison High School

Representative Democracy in America

2010-12-03T10:00:00.005-08:00

The Justice Resource Center is the New York City Coordinator of Representative Democracy in America (RDA), a collection of resources published by the Alliance for Representative Democracy.

Three organizations make up the Alliance for Representative Democracy:
The Center for Civic Education;
The Center on Congress at Indiana University; and
The National Conference of State Legislatures.

The goal of RDA is "to reinvigorate and educate Americans on the critical relationship between government and the people it serves." To that end, RDA offers a dynamic array of resources, including:

a video series and instructional guide;
a series of short, student-accesible videos that illustrate the link between young people and their local legislative bodies;
web resources, including an interactive site dedicated to exposing students to primary sources; and
brochures and publications designed to make representative bodies more accessible to young people.

School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program Through Civics

2010-12-03T10:00:00.003-08:00

The Justice Resource Center implements the School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program (SVPDP) in New York City, the largest and most diverse school district in the country.

The program encompasses public schools in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. For the last 10 years, the New York City program has been administered through the Justice Resource Center of the New York City Department of Education, in partnership with the Center for Civic Education.

SVPDP has been implemented in elementary and middle schools throughout the New York City public school system. In the first year of the program, teachers from United States Congressional District 5 were recruited to pilot the curricular materials. Since its inception, the program has tripled in size, expanding to schools in Congressional District 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 16, affecting approximately 5,009 students. An estimated 116 teachers have continued to use the program materials in their classrooms after their initial year of training.

Teachers that participate in the School Violence Prevention program receive training in a number of civic education programs, including:

Foundations of Democracy

We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution

Project Citizen

Representative Democracy in America