About the Rule of Law Project

Co-taught by teachers and volunteer citizen lawyers and judges, this educational project is designed to engage and inform middle school students about the role of the rule of law as the foundation of our unique representative form of democracy and the freedoms we enjoy, with the intention of making students more active, inquisitive and enlightened citizens.

The educational materials for the VBA Rule of Law Project are available to public and private schools and are consistent with and satisfy the requirements of the Virginia Standards of Learning. They include this website containing:

•  “The Law Rules” video, featuring prominent lawyers and judges sharing their views about the rule of law;
•  a description of the VBA Rule of Law Project;
•  pre-visitation activities, reading lists and class lesson plans;
•  a training video to assist teachers and lawyers in preparing to implement the Rule of Law Project in the classroom;
•  forms for evaluating each class presentation;
•  publicity related to the project; and
•  a list of contacts to answer questions and assist with implementation
 

Timing

The initial pilot project, held on February 18, 2009, included all 122 7th and 8th grade civics classes in Roanoke City, Roanoke County and Salem City public schools. Approximately 60 citizen lawyers and judges talked with more than 2000 students about the rule of law. In the fall of 2009, the VBA Rule of Law Project will be introduced to public and private schools throughout Virginia.

Access

The VBA Rule of Law Project and related educational materials are available online to anyone wishing to use them, including other schools, civic groups, law schools, local bar associations and others who wish to better educate the public about the significance of the rule of law in America.

Requirements

The teacher and the volunteer citizen lawyer or judge should review the training video and then schedule a meeting to review pre-visitation materials, prompt questions and lesson plans to be used in the classroom. The volunteers should also review the “Do’s and Don’ts List” for teaching the rule of law to middle school students (found at the “Tool Box” link on the “Lawyer Involvement” page).

Funding

The VBA Rule of Law Project is funded by a partnership grant from the Virginia Law Foundation (VLF Grant #08-15 and VLF Grant #09-06). The Virginia Law Foundation promotes through philanthropy the rule of law, access to justice and law-related education.