Law in the Classroom 

Law in the Classroom 2025 will be kicking off in February. 7 schools and over 180 primary school students were involved in Law in the Classroom in 2024.

^{Court Artist adroitly sketches the courtroom} 

In the Law in the Classroom programme, UCD partners with primary schools in the community as part of the Law in the Classroom Module led by Dr Suzanne Egan. 

Goal

The overall goal of the Module is to prepare UCD law students to act as role models and active participants in demystifying the law and the legal profession for primary school children, whilst giving them opportunities to see what Higher Education might have to offer them in the future.

Classroom Workshops

As part of the Module, UCD law students design and run a series of workshops for 5th and 6th class students in each primary school. These classroom workshops utilise roleplay and participatory learning to capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the young learners. Young people are introduced to a wide range of legal concepts: truth, evidence, fairness, and justice. Through games and group activities they develop their legal knowledge on children’s rights and amass an impressive legal vocabulary whilst preparing to conduct a mock trial (‘Moot Court’).

Mock Trials/UCD Visit

At the end of the series, the aspiring young legal minds are invited to UCD to participate in a moot court trial. During the moot court sessions, thorny cases are heard, and sometimes unexpected verdicts are delivered to the grumbling disquiet of the courtroom! Parents are also invited to observe the brilliance of their children. There are campus tours and workshops lead by Access Leaders from UCD Access and Lifelong Learning where visitors can learn more about the different pathways to Higher Education.

Collaboration

The Law in the Classroom Programme is a collaboration between our local primary school partners, UCD Sutherland School of Law and UCD Access & Lifelong Learning supported by the Pathways to the Professions project.