April 11, 2016 – Applications are now available for the John Jay College Now Program Law and Literature Summer Institute (LLSI)! The John Jay College-College Now Program’s LJSI – offered in collaboration with the Justice Resource Center (JRC) – embraces the concept that inquiry into the source of state authority is often the beginning point of interest in a career in law. LJSI engages students’ in academic and hands-on learning opportunities designed to critically explore the inherent tensions between individual liberties and state power and to harness student interest in the law and legal profession. Please go to the John Jay College website for details and an online application.
Program Activities
The LLSI – a FREE summer program for 20-25 NYC public high school students- utilizes a combination of classroom instruction, real-world testimonials of working professionals and hands-on activities in the form of Mock Trial court competition and informational workshops to engage students in a critical examination of fundamental questions and to harness their interest in the law and legal profession. The institute will meet over five-weeks from Monday, July 11th thru Thursday, August 11th, four days each week (Mondays – Thursdays) from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm each day. Enrollment is open to rising 11th and 12th grade NYC public high school students who meet academic eligibility requirements.
The five-week program will include the following activities:
- Classroom Instruction: Monday thru Thursday -9:30-12:00: Each day, morning sessions will be comprised of classroom instruction in the 3-credit Law and Literature; The Origins of State Power Combining aspects of an undergraduate literature course and law school, this course examines various philosophical, legal and literary texts as we examine inherent tensions between individual liberties and state power.
- Law Workshop – Law-In-Focus Seminar: Mondays – 1:00 to 3:00: Each Monday, afternoon workshop sessions will allow students to engage in an informed and critical discussion that centers on the exercise of state authority in the modern context. Here, students engage in critical examination around the practice and case law exemplifying a key principle derived from the morning session. Seminar topics will include:
Stop and Frisk
Search and Seizure
Racial Discrimination
Legal limits of Police Power
Rights of Citizens – The IV Amendment
- Law Workshop – Moot Court Trial: Tuesday/Thursday- 1:00 to 3:00: Two afternoon sessions each-week will work through several mock trial scenarios. The programs are designed to be fun and engaging and to teach the rudiments of criminal trial procedure. Students play various in case scenarios including jury, witnesses, bailiff, defense counsel, prosecutor, and defendant. Youth Mentor/Coaches lead teams in preparation for in-class competitions.
- Guest Speakers/: Wednesdays- 1:00 to 3:00: The program will invite working professionals to the class to provide real world testimonials of the law in practice. Students also benefit from the experiences of attorneys and criminal justice professionals from local law enforcement.
Eligibility Requirements
The 20-25 institute enrollees will be selected from qualified applicants from NYC public high schools. To qualify for the program, students must:
- Submit a completed LJSI Application form;
- Enter the 11th or 12th grade in the Fall 2016;
- For juniors, a minimum English GPA of 85 and ELA score of 75;
- For seniors, a minimum ELA score of 75.
Completed Applications are due by Friday, May 27, 2016
For more information please feel free to contact us at:
Carla Olivier, MPA
Academic Program Coordinator, College Now Program
Phone: (212) 393-6332
Fax: (212) 393-6359
Or
David T. Jean-Paul, MA, J.D.,
College Now Program Director
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
619 West 54th Street, Room 788
New York, NY 10019
(T) 212-484-1125
(F) 212-393-6359