Photo courtesy of Spain Park High School.
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy.
At Spain Park High School, the Law Academy is more than an elective.
It’s a four-year journey that challenges students to think critically, speak confidently and engage thoughtfully with complex issues.
Supported by longtime sponsor Craig Thompson and driven by student initiative, the academy has become a cornerstone program within Hoover City Schools, offering students an uncommon level of exposure to the legal system and civic life.
Thompson first became involved with the Law Academy in 2007, when Hoover City Schools expanded the program from Hoover High School to Spain Park. For him, the opportunity was deeply personal.
“I wanted to be involved because I saw it as a chance to get more kids involved in activities,” Thompson said. “I am a Hoover ‘kid’ … and I really think Hoover is one of the best school systems in the country.”
That belief has guided Thompson’s vision for the academy, which he describes as a “school within a school” focused on foundational skills rather than narrow career preparation.
Photo courtesy of Spain Park High School.
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy.
“We focus on building a ‘school within a school’ that emphasizes reading, writing, public speaking and critical thinking,” he said.
The Law Academy is structured as a four-year elective sequence, beginning with philosophy, progressing through constitutional law and culminating in applied legal studies. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to engage in dialogue and debate, learning to advocate for their views while considering opposing perspectives.
“The most positive aspect I have seen is that it requires students to look at multiple sides of difficult issues,” Thompson said. “Oftentimes in cases, there are no easy answers, but in trying to find solutions, students grow the most.”
Spain Park senior Shivika Kumar was drawn to that balance of academic rigor and real-world application.
“I was intrigued with doing events like mock trials,” Kumar said. “I wanted to do work similar to what actual lawyers do and in the same places.”
Since joining the academy, Kumar has traveled to the Alabama State House, argued cases in the federal circuit courthouse in Montgomery, and received feedback from judges and legal professionals across the country.
“I have gotten feedback from real judges in places like Philadelphia, Chicago and Duke,” Kumar said. “No other class gave me as much of an opportunity to become more aware of events around you and how to form opinions about them while respecting others.”
Photo courtesy of Spain Park High School.
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy
Students in the Spain Park Law Academy.
Hands-on learning is central to the academy’s mission. Students read Supreme Court cases, study philosophers and debate constitutional amendments, but Thompson believes competitions are where learning truly crystallizes.
“We read Supreme Court cases in class … but students learn the most while competing,” he said. “We compete in mock trial, moot court and mock legislature.”
The program is intentionally flexible, allowing students to find their own balance between academic preparation and experiential learning.
“We try to be really flexible and let each kid do as much as they want,” Thompson said. “We have students leaving to argue Supreme Court cases in front of Duke University law students … and we also have freshmen who will be going to Montgomery for the oldest Mock Youth Legislature in the country.”
Kumar credits moot court at Duke University as a defining experience.
“It helped me understand the complexities of the court system and how cases wind up from local courts to the district level before being one of the very few instances that go before the Supreme Court,” Kumar said.
Through the process, students learn concepts such as burden of proof, legal standing and judicial recusal while also appreciating the “professional but conversational style” required in appellate arguments.
Beyond legal knowledge, both Thompson and Kumar emphasize the program’s impact on confidence and communication.
“Mock trials definitely helped me learn how to use my ‘attorney voice,’” Kumar said, “but Law Academy also taught me that sometimes it’s more important to listen first. I learned that you can be confident and respectful.”
That growth is something Thompson sees repeatedly.
“I think most [students] come away realizing that our motto of ‘Have fun, do your best and maintain professionalism’ has more to do with life than mock trial,” he said.
The academy’s success has also been measurable on a national stage. In 2023, Spain Park’s mock trial team finished 10th in the country — the highest placement ever for an Alabama team.
“That group was able to do that by all the learning that students before them passed on,” Thompson said, noting that former students returned to help coach. “They also showed our current students how high they can aspire.”
Inspired by experience in Youth Legislature, Kumar now plans to study public policy.
“I realized there are many issues affecting students around the state. I want to help make changes and make sure future policies use accurate data to best serve each community,” Kumar said.
As the program continues to evolve, Thompson remains committed to letting student interest guide its direction.
“Letting the students help guide the program has always served us well,” he said.
Ultimately, both sponsors and students see the Law Academy as a reflection of Hoover City Schools’ broader mission.
“Our value is only a reflection of Hoover City Schools’ commitment to students,” Thompson said.
And for students considering the program, his advice is simple: get involved.
“Find a thing you love,” he said.
