Presents: 17th Annual Law and Society Weekpath.ccp.edu/site/law_center/pdfs/Classroom... · 17th Annual Law and Society Week * February 29, 2016 – March 4, 2016 CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society co-sponsored by the Pro Bono Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association,

The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement

Presents:

17th Annual Law and Society Week

February 29, 2016 – March 4, 2016

[email protected] ● www.ccp.edu/law-center ● Facebook/LawCenterCCP

To request additional copies, contact the

Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society at:

[email protected]

Classroom Discussion Guide

co-sponsored by: Pro Bono Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association


Presents:

17th Annual Law and Society Week * Februar y 29, 2016 – March 4 , 2016

CLASSROOM DISCUSSION GUIDE

Monday, February 29, 2016

Screening of Our Way Home: Transitioning From the Front Lines to the Homefront followed by Plenary

Session/Q&A

10:20 AM – 12:30 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What is PTSD? What are some other names that have been used to describe this condition?

● What are some practical challenges that veterans face when they separate from the military?

Short Essay: Discuss specific ways that friends, family members and/or colleagues of veterans returning from war

can support their transition to civilian life. Reducing Philadelphia Incarceration Rates: Perspectives from the Criminal Justice Community

6 - 7:30 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● Identify some of the causes of mass incarceration in the United States in the 21st century.

● Identify some of the problems associated with mass incarceration.

● Identify some of the solutions posed by the panel to reduce mass incarceration:

Short Essay: Identify whether specific population groups in the United States are disproportionately impacted by

mass incarceration policies. Discuss some specific problems posed by disproportionate targeting.



Presents:



Reparations and Reconciliation in the United States: The Legal Landscape

7:40 - 9:40 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19) Short Answer:

● What is the difference between reparations and reconciliation?

● To which groups might the United States consider offering reparations?

● What are the primary obstacles to offering reparations in the United States?

Short Essay:

● Which is more important in rectifying a past injustice -- reparations or reconciliation? Explain

your answer.

● Choose one of the groups to whom you believe the United States might offer reparations.

Should the United States offer reparations to this group? Explain your answer.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 A City Story: Girard College and its Legacy and Future

8 - 9:30 AM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● How has Girard College changed since 1833?

● How has Girard College impacted the city of Philadelphia?

Short Essay: How does the history of Girard College reflect changes in the history of Philadelphia itself? In other

words, what do the changes at Girard College tell us about Philadelphia’s history?



Presents:



Domestic Violence and Updates to PFA Laws 9 - 10:30 AM (NWRC - 216) Short Answer:

● What is a “PFA” order?

● What is the standard for obtaining a PFA order?

● Describe at least two recent updates to PFA laws.

● Have these updates made it harder or easier to obtain a PFA?

Short Essay:

● Are there any potential problems with the current Pennsylvania PFA law? What, if any, changes

would you recommend to the current law?

● Obtaining a PFA order is a serious process. What factors should the court take into account before

ordering a PFA?

Ethics in City Government 9:40 - 11:10 AM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What are some actual or hypothetical examples of ethics violations by city employees?

● What is a conflict of interest? Give an example.

Short Essay: Prepare an executive summary of an ethics policy that includes what you consider to be the most

important categories of ethical standards.



Presents:



The Presidential Election: Students Explain the Issues 11:20 AM - 12:40 PM (MAIN - C2-28) Short Answer:

● What are two critical issues in the presidential election?

● What positions do the major parties (Democratic & Republican) take on these two critical

issues?

● Who are the most important candidates for either party?

Short Essay:

● Choose a critical issue in the presidential election. Draft a compare/contrast essay in which you

describe the differences between the two major parties and take a position on this issue.

● What is the most important issue in the presidential election? Explain your answer.

Trans 101: Transgender Ally Training 1 - 2 PM (NWRC - 216)

Short Answer:

● What does “transgender” mean?

● What is the difference between sexual orientation and gender identification?

Short Essay: What are some specific challenges that transgender people face? Give some examples of things that an

ally can say or do to make a transgender person feel safe.



Presents:



International Refugees: Populations in Crisis 2:40 - 4:10 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19) Short Answer:

● What is a “refugee”?

● What are at least two of the primary issues that force people to become refugees?

● What are two countries/areas of the world that are experiencing a crisis today, causing people to

become refugees?

Short Essay:

● There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the resettling of Syrian refugees in the

United States. Should the United States increase or decrease the number of Syrian refugees who

are being allowed to resettle in the United States? Explain your answer.

● Under what circumstances and with what, if any, limitations should international refugees be

allowed to resettle in the United States?

Model Grand Jury of a Police-Involved Shooting 6 - 7:30 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19) Short Answer:

● What is the role of a “grand jury”? How does a “grand jury” differ from a trial jury?

● If you were a grand jury member, what questions would you have in a police-involved shooting

case?

● What is the standard for a grand jury indictment?

Short Essay:

● Based on what you saw today, if you were on the grand jury, would you issue an indictment?

Why or why not?

● What special complications/issues arise when the person accused of shooting another individual

is a police officer?



Presents:



Wednesday, March 2, 2016 Investigating a Cold Case Homicide 9:10 - 10:10 AM (MAIN - C2-28)

Short Answer:

● Do you think it is important to continue to investigate unsolved homicides, even many years

later? Why or why not?

● What are some reasons why witnesses may come forward, or change their stories, many years

after the original investigation?

Short Essay: Discuss the special challenges of investigating a “cold case.”

New and Old Threats to Free Speech on Campus 1:50 - 2:50 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer

● Is free speech of particular importance in the college campus setting? If so, why? If not, why

not?

● Identify examples of policies that restrict speech on college campuses.

● Should campuses be allowed to require students to seek administrative permission to distribute

literature on outdoor areas of campus? Why or Why not?

Short Essay Question:

● Do you think that student speech should be regulated on campus if it is offensive to other

members of the college? Provide specific factual and legal support for your answer.



Presents:



Safe Space Training 1:50 - 2:50 PM (WERC – WEST, 134)

Short Answer:

● What does LGBTQ mean?

Short Essay: What are some specific challenges that LGBTQ people face? Give some examples of things that an ally

can say or do to make a LGBTQ person feel safe. Criminal Records: Impact and Expungement 6 -7:30 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What types of criminal records can be expunged in Pennsylvania?

● Briefly describe the expungement process in Philadelphia.

● What is the impact of having a criminal record in Pennsylvania?

Short Essay: Should the criminal expungement process in Pennsylvania be expanded to include misdemeanors and/or

felonies provided that a certain amount of time has passed within which the defendant has remained

arrest free? Please provide factual and legal support for your answer.



Presents:



Screening: Touched, A Film by Terrance Tykeem 6 - 7:30 PM (MAIN - Bonnell Auditorium, BG-20)

Short Answer:

● What is corporal punishment? In your opinion, when does physical discipline cross the line and

become abuse?

● What would you do if you suspected that a child in your life was being physically and/or sexually

abused?

Short Essay: What are some ways that experiencing abuse as a child can affect a person as an adult? What, if any,

responsibility does society at large have for supporting people who have been traumatized by childhood

abuse?

Thursday, March 3, 2016 Racial Profiling 8 - 9:30 AM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What are some examples of both overt and subtle racial profiling?

● Describe a scenario where some people might feel that profiling might be justified.

Short Essay: What, if anything, do you think law enforcement agencies can do to reduce or eliminate racial profiling?

Do you think that this will make them more or less effective in fighting crime?



Presents:



Legal Implications of Nursing 9:40 -11:10 AM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What type of court case would commonly involve a nurse paralegal on the legal team?

● Is medical malpractice a criminal or a civil matter?

Short Essay:

The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines the practice of nursing as "The protection, promotion,

and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through

the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families,

communities, and populations." The profession has expanded significantly over the years to include

varied scopes of independence and/or specialization. Do clinical specialists or nurse practitioners have

a different duty of care to their patients than nurses whose practice is limited to carrying out the direct

orders of a physician? How and why? Use specific details from today’s presentation to answer this

question.

Judicial Independence 9:40 - 11:10 AM (MAIN - Bonnell Auditorium, BG-20)

Short Answer:

● What types of outside influences might affect a judge’s decisions?

● Do you think that judges should be elected or appointed? Why?

Short Essay: What is judicial recusal? Why would a judge recuse him or herself from a case? Give a hypothetical

example of when this would be an appropriate action.



Presents:



Philadelphia CSI 10 AM – 12 PM (NERC, 124)

Short Answer:

● What is the role of the Crime Scene Unit in the investigation of crime?

● Do TV shows such as CSI depict the workings of a real crime scene unit realistically?

Short Essay: What is the "chain of custody" of evidence, and why is it so important in a criminal investigation? Use

specific details from today’s presentation to answer this question.

Youth Court and its Role in Social Justice 11:20 AM - 12:50 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What is a “youth court”?

● What is the “school to prison pipeline”?

Short Essay: What did you learn from the Youth Court demonstration? Discuss why you think it might, or might not

be, an effective way to deal with conflict in school.



Presents:



Grand Tech Auto Squad: A 21st Century Approach to the Auto Crime 12 -1:15 PM (WERC - West Auto Lab)

Short Answer:

● Give an example of an auto crime.

● Other than car owners and the police, what other group has an interest in solving auto crimes?

Short Essay: Automobile insurance fraud can involve a number of different participants - name at least two groups of

people frequently involved in an insurance fraud conspiracy. What are some risks in participating in an

insurance fraud conspiracy? What do you think can be done to discourage people from committing

insurance fraud?

Copyrights and the Self-Published Songwriter/Artist 1 - 2:30 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19)

Short Answer:

● What is a copyright?

● How long does an individual copyright last?

● Briefly describe the copyright process.

Short Essay: Discuss how copyrights are harder to enforce and monitor in the 21st century with people using torrents and

websites like Megaupload and The Pirate Bay.



Presents:



Ethics 101 for Public and Elected Officials 2:40 - 4:10 PM (MAIN - Great Hall, S2-19) Short Answer

● Define the phrase “appearance of impropriety.”

● Identify some recent ethics issues involving public officials in Pennsylvania.

● Describe one of the ethics rules involving elected officials in Pennsylvania.

Short Essay

● Should elected officials in Pennsylvania be allowed to accept gifts? Draft a policy and discuss whether

any exceptions exist (i.e., gifts from spouse, family members). Provide legal and factual support for

your policy.

Screening: Kids for Cash (104 mins)

Tuesday, March 1, 2016; 9 am - 11 am (NERC - 124) Wednesday, March 2, 2016; 10:20 am - 12:30 pm (MAIN - Bonnell Auditorium, BG-20)

http://kidsforcashthemovie.com/wp-content/uploads/KidsforCash_DiscussionGuide.pdf

Documents

Presents: 17th Annual Law and Society Weekpath.ccp.edu/site/law_center/pdfs/Classroom... · 17th Annual Law and Society Week * February 29, 2016 – March 4, 2016 CLASSROOM DISCUSSION