Trailblazers in the law: A History of the Women on the US Supreme Court
In this 5-week online course, students will learn the history of women in the law and particularly on the US Supreme Court from Sandra Day O'Connor through present day.
What's included
5 live meetings
4 hrs 10 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
In this discussion class students will learn the history of women on the US Supreme Court. The class will begin with a lesson on the history of women in the law, and then move through the justices, beginning with Sandra Day O'Connor and ending with the current class of justices. I emphasize this class will not be political! It will focus on the court, the law and the history of women on the court. My style is very casual and discussion oriented. I have taught law to college freshmen for over 20 years and encourage questions and discussion. The materials used will include excerpts from biographies and autobiographies on the justices. I will also show the students the US Supreme Court website, we will do a virtual tour of the court, and I will share key cases the justices were involved in to demonstrate the differences between a majority opinion and a dissenting opinion. The most important focus of the class will be on the women who serve as Justices and how they are helping to shape the law of the United States. Below is a list of the weekly lessons:
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum5 Lessons
over 5 WeeksLesson 1:
From the typing pool to the Supreme Court: The History of Women in the Law
In this foundational lesson, we will focus on the history of women in the law. Your student will understand how women have not always been on the Supreme Court, nor even allowed to practice law. This first class is fundamental to understanding how important it is to have female justices. The title comes from a speech Justice O'Connor gave to my law school class. When she first graduated law school she was only allowed to be in the typing pool! 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Becoming the First: How Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female SC Justice.
This lesson will focus on how groundbreaking it was for O'Connor to be appointed. Your learner will leave this lesson understanding the challenges women faced in a legal career and how courageous it was to appoint a female justice. I will use material on the history of the court as well as excerpts from O'Connor's autobiography. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Not always the notorious RBG: The appointment of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
This lesson will focus on the appointment of RBG, and her history as a civil rights lawyer prior to her appointment. Your learner will walk away with an understanding from these first two lessons about the process of a Supreme Court appointment and how a President nominates a justice. This lesson will cover some of Justice Ginsburg's most important decisions. I will use source material from several biographies as well as legal texts. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Expanding the female impact: The appointment of Justices Sotomayor and Kagan.
In this lesson, your student will learn about the expansion of women appointments to the Supreme Court. The importance of this lesson is for your student to understand that as the number of women grew on the court, the impact could be felt in the decisions of the court. Your learner will understand the difference between a dissenting opinion and the majority opinion through the use of a few cases. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This class will focus on the history of women in the law and on the Supreme Court. It will be focused on the journeys of the justice to get to their positions, and taught in a way that students of all backgrounds could see how they may one day be a justice. This class will NOT focus on politics or sensitive cases. I will not talk about Roe v. Wade or any other related case. I will talk about the number of times female justices have written the majority opinion, or the dissent, to demonstrate how they can impact the law and be leaders in the law. I will set clear ground rules with the students that this course is not about the merits or their opinions on sensitive cases, but rather on how these women rose in their careers to get to the Supreme Court.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
US Constitution
Supremecourt.gov - official website of the US Supreme Court
The Rhetoric of Supreme Court Women: From Obstacles to Options, Nicola Gutgold 2012
Biographical Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court, Melvin Urofsky 2006
Joined March, 2021
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am teaching this topic because as an attorney, I have the lived experience of seeing what adding women to the Supreme Court has meant to career choices for girls, and to the law. I will use stories and anecdotes as well as course material to convey the content. I have been a professor for over 20 years, teaching employment and business law classes to freshmen students. I want to bring this content to a younger audience. I am also a new member of the judicial branch in the state of New York, having just been appointed town justice.
Finally, I have a few stories involving meeting a few of the justices and will bring this experience into the course. I find real world experiences bring the material alive for the learner. I am excited to teach your student!Reviews
Live Group Class
$10
weekly or $50 for 5 classes1x per week, 5 weeks
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
2-12 learners per class
Financial Assistance
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