mission & origin
The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice is a college-preparatory school with a focus on law. Classes engage students through an emphasis on legal studies and debate. Students are prepared for college and beyond through hard work and relationships with teachers that emphasize learning by doing. In their junior and senior years, they work in law-focused internships where they develop strong communication skills and an understanding of the role law plays in our society. When they graduate, they are active citizens, and possess the tools essential to a legal professional—strong reading and writing skills, the ability to think critically, to question and to work collaboratively.
How We Began
On February 26, 2004, under the leadership of Elana Karopkin, who would become the school's principal, an initial planning team of teachers, students and partners—including Fathiyyah Abdullah, Math teacher, Harry Van Arsdale High School; Meisha Ross, Assistant Principal, Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice (BLGJ); Richard Kahan, Founder and President, The Urban Assembly; Jonathan Ortiz, student, BLGJ; Yvette Crespo, Parent Coordinator (BLJG); and Jeffrey Smith, Managing Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP—delivered a powerful grant proposal to New Visions for an unknown but decidedly different kind of high school.
The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice was conceived to immerse students in a rigorous curriculum that exposes law and justice as the fundamental building blocks of society and trains them to be far-thinking, contributive adults.
Among them the planners shared a vision for a small but flourishing community of active learners and an uncompromising dedication to the principle that students are foremost participants in - not recipients of - their education, and will thrive when their curiosity is stoked and their natural talents nurtured.
The planning team was mandated to create SLJ with these ideals ever in mind when their proposal was accepted by New Visions and supported with a grant of $400,000.00.
Executive Summary
Americans are fascinated by the law. Courtroom dramas pervade prime-time television and high profile lawsuits dominate the headlines. Lawyers make up a respected profession in every American community. They are seen as the gatekeepers and guides to an exciting but perhaps labyrinthine system of rules that affect everyone. The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice (SLJ) attracts students to a life of learning by drawing on the fascination and relevance of the world of law.
SLJ offers an engaging, law-themed curriculum, with the goal of providing a high-quality, 9-12 education to under-resourced students. SLJ's focus on the study of law builds upon the success and experiences of The Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (BLGJ). BLGJ opened in 1997 in the South Bronx and has maintained 95% graduation rates in the first three graduating classes, with 90% of those graduates going on to college. Over its seven years, BLGJ has developed an array of law-themed courses that range from constitutional law to forensic science, and has established a successful internship model through which seniors spend three afternoons a week in courthouses, law firms, and non-profit organizations. SLJ was developed in conjunction with members of the BLGJ community including teachers, students, parents, and the principal.
Students at The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice have access to ample curricular and student-support services so that a heterogeneous group of learners who reflect the population of New York City can meet high academic standards, graduate on time, and enter postsecondary institutions equipped to broaden their interests and further their career goals.
Our school is centered on the belief that studying legal issues draws upon and develops fundamental skills—reading, writing and questioning—that are the building blocks for success not only in academic study, but also in the world of work. We don't necessarily want to create career lawyers, but we do want to promote a love of analytical thinking. We want to encourage interest in reading and writing where it already exists and create understanding and excitement where it does not. Graduates of The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice are strong and flexible learners who ask questions and challenge simplistic answers. This increased ability to express oneself through the written word and reason analytically will help our students to excel in all of their scholastic pursuits and to realize their wide and varied ambitions to be anything from lawyers, journalists, and politicians to doctors and scientists.
We integrate law-related studies throughout our curriculum. Every class highlights its usefulness to lawyers, public servants, law enforcement officers, non-profit organizations, lawmakers, etc.
There are law-related competitive teams—a moot court team, a mock trial team, a model UN delegation, and a debate team—that give our students an opportunity to actively enjoy, test, and improve their new skills. The teams provide hands-on opportunities for collaborative learning. The competitions help shape a culture where preparation and learning are celebrated by peers. Active participation by our legal, academic and community partners enhances tutoring on various academic subjects.
The school will ultimately serve 400 students and classes contain no more than 25 students. There is a high level of curriculum integration, and assessment emphasizes both results and the learning process.
Other notable components of the school design include:
- Strong collaborative relationships with a diverse group of partners.
- An advisory board that oversees the efforts and contributions of our partners, and works to multiply the links between The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice and the New York legal community.