Youth Education Program (YEP)

The Youth Education Program (YEP) introduces high school students to the basics of law and legal argumentation through weekly lessons and preparation for a moot court competition in the spring.

What we do:

We teach Philadelphia high schoolers basic constitutional principles and provide an opportunity for enrichment in the social sciences. We also help students develop public speaking skills and build arguments to effectively perform in a moot court competition in the Spring. Broadly, this program is intended to get students excited about legal principles and ideas and expose them to the legal field.

How we do it:

Penn Law students teach in various Philadelphia public high schools and prepare students to participate in a Moot Court competition. Following basic legal lessons, in the fall semester Penn Law volunteers educate all high school classes on a Constitutional amendment. In the spring, volunteers will prep their students on a fact pattern that focuses on a legal issue highlighting all the learned principles for the Moot Court Competition. The program culminates with the students competing against their peers from all the participating high schools in a Moot Court Competition hosted at Penn Law.

How to join:

Keep an eye out for an application in the Fall semester! We’ll be at the Pro Bono sign up fair as well. If you have any questions, please email YEP’s 2024-2025 Director Emily Bleiberg (emblei@penncareylaw.upenn.edu).

What skills will I develop:

Community engagement, appellate advocacy, trial strategy, trial prep, classroom management, public speaking, presentation skills.