Law & Public Policy Academy

Overview & Course Descriptions

Samohi’s Academies offer students an integrated approach to the curriculum anchored by a CTE pathway.  Through a blocked schedule, students complete a CTE pathway in one year while earning credit for three additional academic courses. The Law & Public Policy Academy brings together the CTE Law & Public Policy course sequence with English for Law & Public Policy and the Economics / US Government sequence.  The academy is available to 11th and 12th grade students.

 

This capstone course allows students to examine how statutes and policies are developed to safeguard society throughout history and the relationship to today’s legal practices. Students will understand the analysis of civil rights and liberties, and the ways courts and legislators deal with constitutional questions. Students will develop the skill and knowledge relevant to the needs of modern legal practice, skills for entry into legal practice careers, and preparation into postsecondary advancement, future job prospects, and the progression to higher level careers in Legal Practices.

 

Projects and presentations will foster critical thinking and collaborative skills by requiring students to propose solutions to current legal and economic challenges. For instance, students may draft policy recommendations addressing economic sustainability or analyze historical policy impacts on modern governance. This cross-curricular approach not only strengthens students' writing, speaking, and critical thinking abilities but also prepares them for meaningful engagement in civic and professional realms. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to critically evaluate, communicate, and contribute to discussions on law, history, and economics in ways that transcend disciplinary boundaries.

To guide student thought, the course will be centered around essential questions that have been adapted from the International Baccalaureate English program, and are as follows: 

• How do legal texts shape our understanding of justice and governance, and how can we critically analyze them?
• In what ways do landmark Supreme Court decisions reflect and influence societal values?
• How can rhetorical strategies in legal and public policy writing shape public opinion and policy outcomes?
• How does the interpretation of constitutional principles evolve over time, and what factors influence these changes?
• How can the study of law and public policy empower individuals to engage in civic discourse and advocate for change?
• How do different legal and policy perspectives contribute to a nuanced understanding of complex social issues?
• What ethical dilemmas arise in the creation and enforcement of laws, and how can they be navigated?
• How does legal writing differ from other forms of writing, and what skills are necessary to craft persuasive legal arguments?
• How do diverse historical and contemporary voices shape the evolution of law and policy?
• How can analyzing real-world legal cases enhance our ability to think critically and argue persuasively?

In this semester-long course, students have an opportunity to examine and analyze human behavior through an economic lens. Understanding how the economy functions and how economic reasoning can inform decision making will provide students with the tools to become financially literate and independent.  Students will learn how to make informed decisions based on relevant economic information such as an analysis of costs and benefits; the trade-offs between consumption, investment, and savings; the availability and allocation of natural resources; the distribution of resources among investors, managers, workers, and innovation; the role of the government in supporting, taxing, and investing in industries; and human and physical capital. Students will delve into Fiscal and Monetary Policy and how they both play an essential role in our modern-day economy. They will close out the semester course by creating a financial literacy plan for their immediate future.

This course is designed to provide the learner with a greater understanding of the economic system employed in the United States. Major themes to be studied include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Name & define the principles of economics and summarize the market structure of economics.
• Appropriately label and analyze various graphs including but not limited to supply and demand.
• Classify & contrast the public vs. private sector in our economy.
• Distinguish the difference between monetary & fiscal policy and how the economy makes use of both policies in our economy.
• Understand & dissect the United States’ international trade policies.
• Create & defend a financial plan for the students’ immediate future living on their own.

 

• Interpret and summarize the ideal of the Declaration of Independence.
• Examine, identify and dissect the structure and application of the U.S. Constitution.
• Summarize and discuss the functions of the three branches of government.
• Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the author’s claims, reasoning, and evidence.
• Learn to differentiate between credible sources of information and then accurately and appropriately formatting those sources for a research paper.
• Justify and defend a current political issue by writing a formal research paper utilizing strong and valid supporting documents.