Civil Law
Civil Law (CvL) Course
The third course in the Legal Services (LS) Pathway, this course provides an overview of the civil law field. Students will learn fundamental concepts and skills relevant to understanding civil law and the legal system. Topics include legal careers, research and writing in the civil field, substantive civil law, mock trials, and more.This also prepares students for the ALP that is taken at the end of this course.
Below is our new suggested course and support material.
Instructional Plans & Resources
LAPSEN Unit Plans
LAPSEN has a complete course (120-150 hours) of CvL unit lesson plans available to all educators due to a generous grant from the Georgia Bar Foundation – Click Here to access these
Other Lesson Plan Sources
California Educators Together– The great state of California has an insane amount of resources and lessons. Be sure to search with different key words. You do have to have an account – but they give them to all teachers: Click Here
Texas CTE Lesson Plans – They have some materials for Law & Public Safety: Click Here
Courts and Trials – Instructional support page from LAPSEN: Click Here
Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) for this Course
These certifications satiate all Perkins legislative requirements for Industry Recognized Credentials. Order student certification tests – Click Here
Accredited Legal Professional
The legal services exam pathway provides students with the basic knowledge, skills, and experience to understand the legal system, the legal office and working in the legal field. The high school model can be implemented in 100-120 hours of class time. At the end of the course, students will be able to take the industry certification test.
To learn more about course materials, student testing, and classroom implementation: Click Here
To review the course outline covered to prepare students for the ALP certification – Click Here
Learn more about this IRC – email holly@lapsen.org
MicroCredentials (MC) for this Course
All MicroCredentials are being developed and should be ready in soon.
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Civil Law (CvL) Course Standards
Click Here to open the CvL standards document.
Section 1: Legal Careers
Objective 1: Describe the various careers available in the field of criminal law
Objective 2: Demonstrate job interview skills and interview preparation steps
Section 2: Civil Law Offices
Objective 1: Describe the role of important persons in a civil law office
Objective 2: Describe how income is generated in a law office and what costs are incurred at a law office
Objective 3: Describe ethical issues that arise in the field of civil law and how to navigate those issues
Section 3: Civil law legal research
Objective 1: Conduct legal research involving civil law topics
Objective 2: Analyze and brief cases involving a civil cause of action
Objective 3: Articulate a legal position through oral argument
Section 4: Legal writing and documents in civil law
Objective 1: Demonstrate an ability to read and interpret legal documents relevant to civil law
Objective 2: Draft legal material in a professional manner
Objective 3: Support legal conclusions with properly cited authority
Section 5: Civil Procedure
Objective 1: Demonstrate an understanding of the civil pretrial process
Objective 2: Demonstrate an understanding of the civil trial process
Objective 3: Describe how alternative dispute resolution can be used to settle legal disputes
Section 6: Substantive Civil Law
Objective 1: Describe tort law and important principles involved in tort cases
Objective 2: Explain important principles that underlie common types of substantive civil law
Objective 3: Research cases and statutes involving civil law topics
Section 7: Comparing Civil Law and Criminal Law
Objective 1: Differentiate the purposes of civil law vs criminal law
Objective 2: Differentiate evidence admissibility issues in civil law vs criminal law
Objective 3: Differentiate the decision making process in civil law vs criminal law
Section 8: Civil Mock Trials to enhance legal analysis, writing, and communication
Objective 1: Describe the mock trial process and legal documents contained in a mock trial case
Objective 2: Analyze case materials to determine what information is helpful and harmful to proving a case
Objective 3: Draft witness examination questions and answers using professional language and grammar
Objective 4: Demonstrate substantive trial skills in an organized and professional manner
Objective 5: Analyze and interpret legal documents and laws to develop conclusions in a case
Objective 6: Convey relevant legal information in an organized and cohesive opening statement or closing argument
Objective 7: Present a well organized trial presentation that utilizes professional language and focuses on satisfying all applicable legal standards
Section 9: Civil case resolutions and post-trial
Objective 1: Describe the possible resolution options in a civil dispute
Objective 2: Describe the appeals process for civil cases