Who We Are
Welcome to the Orange County Superior Court’s education website!
This website is dedicated to teaching students about law and the court system. The site was created by the Superior Court of California, County of Orange with funding provided by a grant from the Administrative Office of the Courts.
About the Site
This site is designed to help students learn about U.S. government and the justice system. It is very important that everyone know their rights and responsibilities and understand the legal consequences of their actions. For instance:
Do you know if it’s legal for a teacher to search a student’s backpack at school?
May a student’s driver’s license be suspended for not attending school?
The answers to these questions and other information that you need to know about the court system is available at this site. Videos, slide presentations, games and quizzes are provided to enhance your learning experience.
About Orange County Superior Court and its Education Outreach
The Orange County Superior Court, the third largest trial court system in California and the 4th largest in the nation, is committed to providing quality justice to litigants and the community. One of the Court’s strategic goals is to provide education and community outreach programs.
Over the years, the Court has partnered with many organizations to provide innovative interactive programs to help students learn about the court system. If you are interested in participating in any of these programs, please link to their website from the list below or call their office directly.
• Judicial Speakers’ Bureau
The judicial speakers’ bureau is a popular outreach program. Judges are available to talk to students about many aspects of the law which include drinking/driving, drugs/gangs, juvenile matters and three strikes. If you are interested in requesting a judicial speaker for your class, please obtain a speaker’s bureau request form the General Information Tab at the Court’s website: www.occourts.org
• Law Advocates’ Courthouse Tours
Law Advocate volunteers coordinate with court staff in conducting tours of the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana for 8th through 12th grade students. Class instructors are welcome to call 714-834-5277 to arrange for tours which include an orientation about courtroom proceedings.
• Mock Trial
Under the auspices of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County, judicial officers and members of the local bar volunteer to serve as mock court trial judges and mentors to teams of high school students who prepare their cases for trial. Through this experience, high school students learn basic concepts about the law and the practice of legal procedures in a courtroom setting. For additional information, call the Constitutional Rights Foundation at 949-440-6757 or check their website: www.crfoc.com.
• Peer Court (A video about the Peer Court experience is located at this website by clicking HERE)
This is a program in which teenagers, who have been arrested for certain types of crimes, are judged by a jury of their peers. Judicial officers of the Superior Court preside over the hearing. The trials are conducted at one of several local high schools. Student peers recommend the length and nature of the activity that the teen must perform to make amends for the offense. For additional information, call the Constitutional Rights Foundation at 949-440-6757 or check their website: www.crfoc.com.
• Shortstop / Programa Shortstop
Judicial officers and court staff work with volunteers from the Orange County Bar
Foundation to involve juvenile offenders in a program which helps them recognize the serious consequences of committing crimes. This program, established in 1980, steps in after a youth’s first run-in with the law and offers a rigorous course for offenders aged 10 to 17 and their parents. A Spanish language version, Programa Short-Stop, was added in 1989. Thousands of young people and their families have gone through the program. For more information, visit the Orange County Bar Foundation website at www.ocbarfoundation.org.
•Groundhog Job Shadow, February - April
Annually, the Court partners with the Orange County Department of Education to arrange opportunities for students to visit with a judge. During the student’s visit, they are able to personally ask the judges questions and get firsthand information about job skills and what is required if they are interested in pursuing a career in law. For more information, call the Department of Education/Pathfinder office at (714)327-1063 or visit their website: http://ocpathfinder.communityos.org
