Curated OER
Supreme Court Rulings
Become familiar with the constitution and amendments with an in depth opportunity to utilize media center resources. Groups of students focus on an amendment then make a presentation to the class.
Curated OER
It's All About Justice
Students examine a specific environmental concern to their local community. In groups, they explore how the justice system would deal with the problem by participating in a treasure hunt. They review the meaning of federal and state...
Other
Judicial Learning Center: Types of Court Cases
Learn about the two types of court cases - criminal cases and civil cases - and what types of crimes and disputes fall into each category.
Other
Differences Between Civil and Criminal Law in the Usa
This website provides a well-organized introduction to the differences between civil and criminal law. Addresses topics such as "punishment," "burden of proof," "protections for criminal defendants" and "ignorance of the law." Examples...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Supreme Court: Expanding Our Civil Rights: Gideon v. Wainwright
This is a synopsis of the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright, which ruled that states must provide defense attorneys to any indigent criminal defendant charged with a felony. The decision was written by Justice Hugo Black.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Oyez.org: Oyez Directory
The OYEZ Directory offers hyperlinks to Supreme Court cases. Choose the topic you'd like to search under, like "Attorneys," or "Civil rights," for example.
Other
Federal Judicial Center: Inside the Federal Courts
A fantastic overview of the federal court system of the United States can be found here. Read about what the federal courts do, the difference between federal and state courts, the types of cases handled by federal courts, the structure...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Article Iii: Categories of Contempt
An in-depth look at the different types of contempt of court, in the United States legal system.
Scholastic
Scholastic: John Doe in a u.s. Court
This site from Scholastic provides a well-written essay describes the federal court system and its jurisdiction including the '7 steps in justice.'
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: The Mississippi Burning Trial
Updated detailed account of the case of United States versus Cecil Price et al., also known as the "Mississippi Burning trial", a criminal trial where the United States charged a group of 18 men with conspiring in a Ku Klux Klan plot to...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What Happened to Trial by Jury?
In the United States today, juries decide less than 4% of criminal cases and less than 1% of civil cases filed in court. At the same time, jury systems in other countries are growing. So what happened in the US? And could the...