Fostering academic excellence and biblical virtue to equip students for lives as local and global Christian servants.

How to Get Away with Murder (Trial Law)

Course Catalog ID:
4095
Subject Categories:
Academic Elective, Career Exploration, Government, Social Studies / Social Science
Description

Alexander Hamilton once described the Constitutional right to a trial by jury as a “valuable safeguard to liberty” and “the very palladium of free government.” Why is this right considered a crucial safeguard to our free society? What happens if we lose it? Using skills from the TPS Street Law course, this course delves into the tantalizing inner workings of a criminal trial. In this interactive class, students will learn how a case is proven and how a criminal can get away with a crime. Students will analyze infamous trials and complete a variety of assignments, including legal memoranda and a motion argument, all leading up to a mock murder trial. Students will step into the minds of the significant players — police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges — as they grapple with tragic facts, law, and politics in the courtroom.

Prerequisites
Grade Levels*:
10, 11, 12
* Enrollment restricted based on Date of Birth and Grad Year (whichever is more limiting). Enrollment outside these levels requires written concurrence from TPS Support.
Readiness
• Successful completion (75% or higher) of TPS English 3 (or higher)
━ OR ━
• Successful completion of Readiness Test
Notes and Conditions

Transcript Planning: On a TPS transcript this course lists for credit as an Academic Elective.

“This is such a fun class! You are able to experience the nerves (and excitement!) of preparing for trial. The teacher, through her experience as a lawyer, is able to teach from real-life knowledge. Possibly the coolest class I’ve ever taken!”

Sylvia S
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Student

“This is easily the best class I have taken! The last weeks of class were all mock trial weeks, which I thought were going to be the most stressful assignment I’ve done. But the teacher did a great job making it a fun assignment where everyone had the chance to be an attorney and a witness. It really does feel like you are in a courtroom. The rest of the semester before the mock trial, we learned so much about the law. I used to know almost nothing about trial law, but now I can say I do!”

Jacob G
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Student

“How to Get Away With Murder was a fabulous class! The teacher is amazing and really helped us understand how to write, think, and speak like a lawyer. Reading through cases and briefing them helped me to understand our laws better. The two trials we did were fun learning opportunities. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in our government/law.”

Gabriella W
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Student

“This was an intense but fun course! Every week I was learning something new and the teacher was great! The mock trial was super fun and probably my favorite part of the semester.”

Piper L
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Student

“If you are interested in law at all, I would highly recommend taking this course. It’s a great way to dip your toes into the realm of law.”

Ephraim G
-
Student
Reviews from Students and Parents