Law: Navigating the American Legal System
Ready to discover the foundations of the U.S. legal system? This course empowers you to explore how laws are created, interpreted, and enforced, and how legal reasoning shapes outcomes in civil, criminal, and constitutional contexts. Through case studies and simulations, you'll develop skills to think critically about law, rights, and justice. Hear from legal professionals and delve into real-world applications of law.
Program Dates
Multi-length sessions available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 13 and up
Individual Course Fees
$1,795
Explore the American Legal System
Discover the Foundations of Law
Explore law's purpose and function in society. Understand how laws are made, who enforces them, and how different types of laws interact. Grasp the U.S. legal system's structure, including federal and state courts.
Navigate Civil Disputes
Understand how private disagreements are resolved legally. Learn about torts, contracts, and how issues like injury or broken agreements lead to civil lawsuits. Discover how civil law impacts individuals and businesses.
Explore Criminal Offenses and Prosecution
Gain working knowledge of how criminal offenses are defined and prosecuted. Discover the elements that define crimes and the procedural safeguards protecting the accused. Explore how criminal law functions within the larger system.
Understand Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties
Dive into the U.S. Constitution and the rights and freedoms it guarantees. Analyze how courts interpret these rights and potential conflicts with public interest. Examine pivotal Supreme Court cases and develop skills in constitutional debate.
Law in Your Daily Life
Use core legal tools to think critically about how people experience law in everyday life. Develop your voice and judgment to spot legal issues and envision solutions.
Explore Law-Related Careers
Topics covered in this course offer a strong background for potential careers in law and public service. Consider paths in legal analysis, advocacy, policy development, or further legal education.
How You Will Benefit
- Gain a foundational understanding of the U.S. legal system and how laws are made, interpreted, and enforced.
- Explore major fields of law, including constitutional, civil, and criminal law, learning from legal experts in the field.
- Develop critical thinking skills to analyze legal arguments, understand landmark court decisions, and apply legal reasoning to real-world scenarios.
- Understand how legal systems influence everyday life and discover pathways for career exploration.
- Complete a Final Capstone Project to demonstrate what you’ve learned.
- Earn a Certificate of Completion from Dartmouth.
Three Learning Advantages Designed for You
Final Capstone Project
This course concludes with a final capstone project where you can:
- Choose a legal issue, dispute, or constitutional question and demonstrate how legal frameworks and reasoning apply.
- Write a brief presenting both sides of a legal issue using precedent and logical argumentation, or create a multimedia project tracing a legal concept's real-life impact.
Mentoring
Gain support from an expert mentor who’ll help answer questions and enrich your experience. Here’s what to expect:
- Expertise in the field of law.
- Encouragement and direction on all assignments.
- Inspiration, motivation and confidence to help you succeed.
- Brainstorming to help you prepare for your final capstone project.
Flexible Learning
- 100% online learning that works with your schedule.
- Enjoy flexible, engaging video lessons that you can watch whenever it’s convenient for you.
- Multiple courses can be taken to maximize your learning experience.
- 20 to 30 hours of total instruction and activities per course, including multimedia, simulations, and curated assignments for which you will receive guidance and support from mentors.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Course Designed by Dartmouth Instructors
Ted Cooperstein, JD
Law Instructor, Dartmouth College
Ted Cooperstein is a solo appellate law practitioner at Theodore Cooperstein PLLC, litigating criminal and civil appeals in federal courts across the country and in the Supreme Court of the United States. A former career federal prosecutor, Ted spent 25 years with the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies, retiring from the U.S. Attorney's Office as a criminal prosecutor with multiple jury trials and appeals. He has taught undergraduate college courses in Criminal Law and Legal Aspects of Policing.
How To Apply:
It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Just provide some basic information and tell us why you wish to take this program.
Note: Please submit all application materials in English.
Begin the guided application process. It should take only a few minutes of your time to answer the questions.
Want to Know More?
Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.
Admissions
Our application process is easy. You can expect a prompt decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? When do you find out if you're admitted? Find answers to your questions here.
Scholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If you don't have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.
