While increasing knowledge of practical legal matters is a good start, we recognize that knowledge alone does not empower people. It is only through the use of that knowledge that people can actually advocate for themselves and for others. We are meticulous in our program design to ensure that all of our public legal education programs utilize interactive teaching methods that allow students to practice their engagement skills and build their confidence.
All of our programs utilize participatory activities such as mock trials, moot courts, mock legislative hearings, public policy debates, and more. In the same way that you can’t teach a person to swim with a marker and whiteboard alone, you can’t teach a citizen to participate through lectures and worksheets. By providing a structured venue for students to practice their communication, engagement, and participation skills, our programs nudge students “into the pool” and empower them to utilize the practical knowledge that they learn.