Everglades City School – Comprehensive LawHonors

Mar 2026 · 2nd Semester

The primary content for the course pertains to the study of the components and processes associated with the American legal system and the comprehensive examination of the civil and criminal justice systems. Content will include, but is not limited to, the historical antecedents and purpose for laws, the impact of social values on the establishment and interpretation of laws, causes and consequences of crime, evaluation of the adult and juvenile justice systems, significance of the Bill of Rights to the American legal system and elements of constitutionalism, civil and criminal law, family and consumer law, rights and responsibilities under the law, and the adversarial versus inquisitorial systems of justice. This course will incorporate the development of a written appellate brief addressing a contemporary legal question and the presentation of oral arguments to defend their position legally. This course requires a greater demand on students through increased academic rigor. Students are challenged to think and collaborate critically on the content they are learning. Honors level rigor will be achieved by increasing text complexity through text selection, focus on high-level qualitative measures, and complexity of task. The primary content for the course pertains to the examination of the American legal system and the nature of specific rights granted under the United States Constitution. Content should include, but is not limited to, the historical antecedents of laws and the basis for the creation of laws, the background, principles and applications of the United States Constitution, the rights protected by the Constitution and precedent-setting cases related to these rights, the process for enacting criminal laws at the state and local levels, the stages of the criminal justice system, the government and private agencies which provide services to individuals accused of crimes, the citizen's role in the legal system, the role of women and diverse cultural groups within the justice system, and careers in the justice system. Special Note: Credit in this course precludes credit in Comprehensive Law Studies