Now Available! Weber v. Chase: Interactive Multimedia Jury Experience and Mock Trial Program

The Weber v. Chase Multimedia Jury Experience and Mock Trial Program is a unique and flexible resource for teaching about the judicial branch of our government.  The case of Weber v. Chase is a civil case involving bullying. The bullying began at school, but when the bullies were punished by the school, it moved online. The student who was cyberbullied, Casey Weber, suffered serious consequences, including falling grades and depression. Casey’s parents filed suit against the parents of the primary bully, Nick Chase. Using the facts from this single case, Weber v. Chase provides students two opportunities to learn about and become engaged in our legal system, either as jurors or as participants in a classroom mock trial.

Part One: The Introduction to Civil Court component of this resource provides an introduction to civil court and is a useful starting point regardless of whether you plan (1) to use the DVD and have students serve as jurors in deciding the case or (2) to have students enact the complete moot court in your classroom. These lessons provide an overview of the case of Weber v. Chase and help students understand civil court and the standard of proof in civil cases—the “preponderance of evidence,” a lower standard than students may be familiar with from criminal cases (“beyond a reasonable doubt”). 

Part Two: The Weber v. Chase Multimedia Jury Experience component of this program contains a DVD and accompanying materials to give an entire class the opportunity to serve as jurors in this fictionalized case. Students view a DVD of the court proceedings (somewhat simplified for instructional purposes), weigh the evidence, deliberate with peers, and render a verdict.

Part Three: The Weber v. Chase Mock Trial component of the program includes all the materials needed to implement a mock trial of Weber v. Chase in the classroom, with students making the preparations for the case and taking on the roles of plaintiff, defendant, witnesses, attorneys, judge, and jury. All the necessary witness statements, evidence, instructions for writing direct and cross examination questions, as well as opening and closing statements, are provided in this section.

The Weber v. Chase Multimedia Jury Experience and Mock Trial Program offers teachers flexibility in addressing their goals and the needs of their students.  Taking into consideration the time available, curriculum goals, and students’ abilities and interest, a teacher can opt to use either component separately or conduct both components with their students. 

Weber v. Chase is a product of the joint efforts of Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) and the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association (YLS). Major funding was provided by the GE Foundation. Students from William C. Goudy Elementary School play the part of the jurors in the film.

For a Limited Time, Weber v. Chase Multimedia Jury Experience is FREE for Chicago Public School Middle School Teachers!

• If you are currently a middle school teacher in one of the Chicago Public Schools, you can order a FREE copy of Weber v. Chase. To order your free copy, click here. Limit one free copy per teacher.
• All others can order a copy using the "Buy Online" button below.