Reading and Writing Workshop
Unit 3 – Justice in the Courtroom
Unit Focus
Students will examine the purpose, structure, and function of the American court system through historical legal texts, Supreme Court opinions, and foundational writings on law and justice. Using public domain sources, students will analyze the principles of due process, courtroom roles, and how trials serve justice—or fail to.
Essential Questions
Core Readings (Public Domain Texts)
Week 5: Court Structure and Rights
Reading Focus:
Week 6: Trial Process and Justice
Reading Focus:
Final Assessment Option (Workshop Extension)
Unit Focus
Students will examine the purpose, structure, and function of the American court system through historical legal texts, Supreme Court opinions, and foundational writings on law and justice. Using public domain sources, students will analyze the principles of due process, courtroom roles, and how trials serve justice—or fail to.
Essential Questions
- How do court procedures protect individual rights?
- What roles do various courtroom participants play in ensuring justice?
- In what ways has legal thought about justice and fairness evolved?
Core Readings (Public Domain Texts)
- The U.S. Constitution – Sixth Amendment (Right to a Fair Trial)
- Source: National Archives
- https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
- Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) – Supreme Court Opinion
- Source: Justia US Supreme Court Center
- https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/372/335/
- Excerpt from “Commentaries on the Laws of England” by Sir William Blackstone (1765–1769)
- Chapter: Of the Trial by Jury
- Source: Liberty Fund
- https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/blackstone-commentaries-on-the-laws-of-england-in-four-books-vol-3
- “On Crimes and Punishments” by Cesare Beccaria (1764) – Excerpts on judicial procedures and punishments
- Source: Project Gutenberg
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21900
- The Federalist No. 78 by Alexander Hamilton (on the judiciary)
- Source: Library of Congress
- https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-71-80#s-lg-box-wrapper-25493450
Week 5: Court Structure and Rights
Reading Focus:
- U.S. Constitution, Sixth Amendment
- Federalist No. 78
- Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Trial by Jury
- Close Reading and Annotation: Highlight key protections of the accused in each document.
- Discussion: Compare Blackstone’s and Hamilton’s view of the judiciary. What are the purposes of jury trials and independent judges?
- Graphic Organizer: Create a side-by-side chart of the roles of judge, jury, and defendant.
- Short Response: "Why is the right to a trial by jury considered essential to justice in a democracy?" Cite at least two sources.
Week 6: Trial Process and Justice
Reading Focus:
- Gideon v. Wainwright (majority opinion excerpt)
- Beccaria’s On Crimes and Punishments (chapters on trials and punishments)
- Guided Reading: Read the majority opinion in Gideon, noting key arguments about the right to counsel.
- Pair Analysis: Compare Beccaria’s Enlightenment-era critique of punishment and justice to the reasoning in Gideon.
- Class Discussion: How does legal philosophy influence modern court decisions?
- Analytical Essay: "How do historical and constitutional ideas about justice shape today’s courtroom procedures?"
- Include evidence from Gideon, the Constitution, and one philosophical/legal text.
- Emphasize how due process and the role of legal representation influence outcomes.
Final Assessment Option (Workshop Extension)
- Socratic Seminar or Timed Essay: “Does the American court system live up to the ideals of justice laid out in the Constitution and in legal philosophy?”
- Students must prepare notes using at least three of the public domain texts and bring annotated passages to support their argument.