Law Merit Badge
Eleven requirements, with the five interviews of requirement 4, the court session or mock trial of requirement 6 and the lawyer visit of requirement 7 marked as the parts that need other people. Requirements 2 (two of three topics) and 11 (two of eleven areas of law) are multiple-choice questions, and requirement 6 is a question.
12 steps (16 parts inside them). 16 parts depend on questions you have not answered yet. · Version 1, published 8 October 2026 · About Law Merit Badge
No questions answered
This is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering the 3 questions at the address above takes out the parts that are not for you.
Which of this applies to you
You have not answered anything yet, so this is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering 3 short questions will take out the parts that are not for you.
Your progress
26 steps can be started now; 1 is waiting on something else.
Clear ticksYour ticks are kept in this browser, so they will still be here next time. They are in the address as well, so a link to this page carries them to another device.
The steps
Stage 1 of 12
1 step
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1. What law is, its sources and its functions Requirement
Define law. Tell some of its sources. Describe the functions it serves.
Stage 2 of 12
1 step
Stage 3 of 12
1 step
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3. Civil law and criminal law Requirement
Tell what each is, and the main differences between them. Give examples of each.
Stage 4 of 12
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4. Ask five people about law enforcement officers Often forgotten Requirement
About the role of law enforcement officers in our society; not more than one from your immediate family. Discuss their answers with them. Report your findings to your counselor.
Stage 5 of 12
1 step
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5. Laws and organizations that protect consumers and sellers Requirement
Discuss with your counselor several laws that were passed to protect the consumer and the seller. Describe several organizations that provide help to consumers and sellers.
Stage 6 of 12
1 step
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6. A court session or a mock trial. Do ONE Requirement
The badge states the choice: attend a court session and write about it, or plan and conduct a mock trial.
2 parts
Stage 7 of 12
1 step
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7. Visit a lawyer, and report Requirement
Arrange a visit with a lawyer who works for a business, bank, title company or government agency. Find out his or her duties and responsibilities. Report what you have learned.
Stage 8 of 12
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8. Becoming a lawyer, and selecting judges, in your state Requirement
Explain the requirements for becoming a lawyer in your state. Describe how judges are selected in your state.
Stage 9 of 12
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9. Fifteen jobs in law, and which you prefer Requirement
Make a list of 15 jobs that deal with some aspects of law or legal processes. Tell which you prefer, and why.
Stage 10 of 12
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10. Finding a lawyer Requirement
Tell where people can go to obtain the help of a lawyer if they are unable to pay for one, and what you can do if you can afford a lawyer but do not know of any in your area.
Stage 11 of 12
1 step
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11. Areas of the law. Discuss TWO Requirement
Discuss with your counselor the importance in our society of two areas of the law or process. The badge states the choice: two of eleven.
11 parts, 1 ticked
Stage 12 of 12
1 step
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Counselor signs it off Milestone
The completion date is the date you met the requirements, not the date of the signature.
Usually comes after 1. What law is, its sources and its functions, 2. Legal history. Discuss TWO and 9 others.
Merit badge requirements are republished annually. A Scout beginning work uses the requirements as they stand then; a Scout already working may finish under the ones they started with. Guide to Advancement 7.0.4.3 governs which applies. This page records the date its copy was read. Check it against the official page before relying on it.
This plan is a planning aid: the current Boy Scouts of America publication is always the authority, and the sources used here are listed in full. Each step names its own.