As part of its America 250 celebration, the Supreme Court of Ohio has created an interactive game that allows students to experience what it’s like to be a judge at each level of Ohio’s court system.

America 250 invites people across the country to reflect on the ideals that have guided the nation since 1776. A fair and independent court system protects those ideals and serves as a cornerstone of the American republic. Preserving our shared heritage requires people to understand how courts work, and that is what the Court's new interactive program is designed to teach.

You Be the Judge takes players on a journey through the court system, letting them make decisions as judges to determine whether a student should be suspended from school for stealing from another student. Players make key decisions from the case’s beginning in a trial court all the way to the case’s conclusion in the Supreme Court.

The game teaches that “judges play an important role in our society. They ensure that everyone who enters a courtroom is treated fairly,” Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy says in the game’s introduction.

In You Be the Judge, students must review the evidence and apply the law to reach a decision.

“Being a good judge requires strong problem-solving skills and listening carefully,” Chief Justice Kennedy said, so students examine witness testimonies, closing arguments, and basic legal definitions before making decisions at different points in the game.

Following the first ruling in the trial court, the player assumes the role of one judge on a three-judge panel reviewing the case in an appeals court. Once the judges reach a decision in the appeals court, the case arrives at the Supreme Court, where the player acts as a justice. After hearing arguments from the attorneys in the case and the opinions of the six other justices, the player casts a vote for a final ruling.

The game asks players to consider whether their opinions change as others become involved in the decision-making process.

You Be the Judge is geared toward sixth-grade students in Ohio. The Court worked with the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education to identify key concepts and information about courts that align with sixth-grade state learning standards.

The Court is seeking to reach educators and make You Be the Judge an enriching experience for students before they visit the Court or while playing at home or school. By having students take on the role of judges listening to attorneys’ arguments, the Court hopes to encourage them to pursue a career in law.