are yoU a young person

interested in learning the law?

We encourage all young people aged 14-21 living in the NYC area to join our Legal Literacy Passport Program, which runs from 4pm -6pm on Mondays and Thursdays between March 2nd and May 21st at the New York Public Library’s Riverside Branch.

Over the course of the program, students will complete seven core modules:

  1. Introduction to Law & Legal Systems

  2. Civil Procedure

  3. Constitutional Law

  4. Contracts

  5. Criminal Law

  6. Property Law

  7. Torts

Each session will be taught by a trained legal educator with experience in youth facilitation.

Sessions will be interactive, including real-life case studies, media, and scenario-based learning.

Students must complete 15 sessions to receive their Legal Literacy Certificate, which will

be awarded at a culminating celebration in May.

This program is completely and free and requires no preregistration, so if you’re interested, come by!

DLG’s Legal Literacy Passport Program (LSPP), in partnership community with the New York Public Library, provides access to legal literacy programming to students citywide.

High School aged-students (15-19) can attend after school modular legal literacy workshops at local library branches throughout the year. The comprehensive program includes 22 modules that mirror the first year law school curriculum, and students can attend at their own pace and priority.

Students who complete 15 workshops or more are eligible to receive a legal literacy passport, unlocking opportunities to facilitate workshops of their own and pursue future community justice work.

  • Legal Literacy Workshop Series

    Duration: 12 weeks (Mar. 2 - May 21)

    Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00–6:00 PM

    Structure: Modular workshops covering the core components of the first-year law school curriculum.

    Workshops will be interactive, drop-in friendly, and community-responsive. While each module will stand alone, participants will be encouraged to complete the full series to gain a comprehensive understanding of foundational legal concepts.

  • Legal Literacy Passport & Completion Pathway

    Participants will receive a Legal Literacy Passport (physical or digital), tracking their attendance and course completion.

  • Certificate of Completion and Facilitator Fellowship

    Participants who complete the full curriculum will receive a Foundational Legal Literacy Certificate and become eligible for the next phase:

    Join a paid cohort of Legal Literacy Facilitators

    Receive training in legal workshop design, facilitation, and public speaking

    Present at citywide events, including webinars, civic education series, and Defying Legal Gravity’s Annual Youth Legal Empowerment Conference

    Facilitators will serve as peer educators, ensuring that legal knowledge is both community-rooted and locally relevant.