Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

1.  You are a lawyer hired by Oliver L. Brown and the 12 other families involved in the Supreme Court Case, Brown v. Board of Education.

2.  You will develop an argument defending your side of the case, which you will use to convince a jury of your peers, beyond a resonable doubt, that segregation in schools is immoral, racist, and a violation of the rights outlined by the 14th Ammendment of the United States Constitution.

Focus on:
-14th Ammendment
-Previously established court rulings
-Race relations in America during the 1950's
-Civil Rights movement and influence


3.  You will verbally present your argument to the members of the Court.


4.  You will be rendered a decision by a jury of peers and a Supreme Court judge, myself.

*Remember*
Be Creative!  Original ideas and personality are a great way to captivate an audience and persuade a jury!
Act Appropriately!  Lawyers do not show up to court in jeans and a t-shirt.  Dress up and look presentable, your argument should model an attorney's style of dictation. 
Know Your Information!  You won't be able to defend Mr. Brown and the other oppressed families in a court of law if you don't establish a solid foundation of information about the case. 


Below is a link to the homepage of the case of Brown v. Board of Education.
Here you will find a background history, detailed description, and interpretation of the case and the events that proceeded and succeeded the eventual ruling of the Supreme Court.  The information on the site is valuable for your presentation. 

http://brownvboard.org/summary/

The National Historic Site of Brown v. Board of Education is located in Topeka, Kansas where the situation and case initially developed.  The link to the website listed below contains a detailed time line, photos and videos, and a vast amount of information concerning the case and is the authentic webpage for the Historic site. 

http://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm 


Below is a link to a hard copy of the Brown v. Board of Education court documents.  It was made available through The National Center for Public Policy Research's Constitution and the Courts Archive.

http://www.nationalcenter.org/brown.html