Personal Rights and Legal Decision-Making

This unit prepares students to recognize and act on individual and family legal rights and responsibilities across criminal, juvenile, and civil contexts. Students learn practical risk-management strategies (contracts, insurance, debt, estate and child-support planning), appropriate conduct with authorities and agencies, and best practices for hiring and working with attorneys.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the rights, procedures, and potential outcomes for prisoners, victims, and juvenile defendants, and explain parental legal responsibilities when a child is arrested or adjudicated
• Apply risk-management and prevention strategies by producing a personal plan that includes written agreements, insurance selection, debt-reduction tactics, estate planning basics, and child support compliance
• Demonstrate appropriate conduct and decision-making when interacting with law enforcement, tax authorities, and in business or interpersonal situations to reduce legal exposure
• Evaluate and compare attorneys using measurable criteria (fees, courtroom track record, conflicts of interest, communication style) and create a written checklist and interview script for selecting representation