Court Observation Law and Justice

 During this course you will be required to observe two hours of court. You need to observe two separate hearings (one hour each). The majority of court hearings are open to the public. After observing court, you will write a 4 page paper detailing what you saw in court, and connecting your observations with what we have covered over the course of the semester. (Please note, if you include a title page, or a reference page, this does not count towards your 4 pages of content.) When writing your paper, include the following: • Explain the cases you observed (what type of case did you observe, what was the outcome of the case, etc.) • Describe how a case proceeds through the court system, and your observations of the procedural aspects of court • Identify how your court experience relates to your view of law and justice • Provide connections between what we have studied in this class and what you observed in court • Research one Supreme Court case and identify how that case set precedent. Did you observe the influence of that precedent in your own courtroom observations? • Share any other thoughts you have about your court observation experience