Citizenship is what makes a republic; monarchies can get along without it.
– Mark Twain

The Learning Law and Democracy Foundation (LL&D) is a non-profit nonpartisan civic education organization dedicated to building strong communities of engaged citizens through educationin the law, civics, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Our work encompasses a variety of elements:

Teachingcivics.org

This online resource was created to assist civics teachers in developing curriculum that is timely and relevant to students. And while the site is aimed primarily at educators, all Americans will find the material gathered here a valuable source for learning how government works and what it means to be an active citizen.

Activities for Educators

We sponsor a variety of education programs, workshops and institutes throughout the year aimed at both teachers and community members.
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Learning Opportunities for Students

Bringing civics to life for students is among our chief goals. By administering learning programs such as “We the People” and “Project Citizen,” as well as in-class instruction from practitioners in the field of law and government, students gain first-hand, practical knowledge of democracy.
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Background

The Learning Law and Democracy Foundation launched in 1981 as the Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education at Hamline University School of Law, in St. Paul, MN. The organization initially provided law-related education in schools and community organizations that focused on the development of legal competence. Its vision, however, quickly expanded to include instruction in civics and government.

Six years (1996-2002) of civics and law programming continued at the University of Minnesota, culminating in a subsequent name change to more accurately reflect its mission. The Learning Law and Democracy Foundation became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2005 with offices in St. Paul.

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