Law RPG

I introduce the folks at LITCon2025 to tabletop role-playing as an alternative to the standard law school case method. Attendees were invited to play over lunch with students at their tables acting as game masters. The materials mentioned in the video can be found below.

Law RPG Resources

Print and Online Handbooks

Below are links to several versions of the Law RPG Beginner's Handbook (printable & interactive) along with the interactive helper mentioned in the video. Don't worry, the interactive helper includes a set of virtual dice.1 Also, in addition to being able to print the zine, you can edit it to. Looking for a historic exploration of games and simulations? You might like Playing with Reality: How Games Have Shaped Our World by Kelly Clancy.

The image shows a small booklet made of folded paper, viewed from an angled top-down perspective. The booklet is open and standing upright on a wooden surface, with its pages slightly fanned out. One of the inside pages displays a printed table with text in columns and rows, though the content is only partially visible. The lighting is soft and natural, casting a warm tone over the scene. The handmade, informal appearance suggests it is a zine, pamphlet, or quick-reference guide. The image shows four views of a small folded zine-style booklet titled *Law RPG Beginner’s Handbook* by David Colarusso, laid flat on a wooden surface. Each booklet page is visible, arranged to display its contents. The front cover includes a 20-sided die illustration and a subtitle. Inside pages feature game instructions, sample dialogue mimicking courtroom scenes (labeled “JUDGE” and “ATTORNEY”), rules on ability checks, case sheets, roles, and a QR code linking to an interactive helper. One section breaks down missions, objectives, and outcomes in a tabular format, suggesting a tabletop RPG-style gameplay experience themed around courtroom law. The booklet appears to be an educational take on combining role-playing mechanics with legal procedures. The image shows a small DIY booklet titled *Law RPG Beginner’s Handbook* being stapled along the fold with a red Swingline stapler. The booklet is opened to display the back cover and inside back page, which includes a QR code labeled “Interactive Helper” and instructions for accessing online resources. The front cover features a 20-sided die illustration and the author’s name, David Colarusso. The booklet rests on a wooden surface, and the lighting is soft, creating a warm, casual crafting atmosphere. This moment captures the final step of assembling a printed zine or mini-handbook, emphasizing its homemade, accessible nature. The image shows a close-up of a hand holding a small, homemade booklet titled *Law RPG Beginner’s Handbook* by David Colarusso. The cover features a black-and-white illustration of a 20-sided die (commonly used in tabletop role-playing games), reinforcing the theme of combining legal education with RPG mechanics. The booklet is neatly folded and stapled along the spine, with visible page edges, indicating it has been freshly assembled. The background is a wooden surface, and the overall scene conveys a DIY, educational, and playful approach to learning about law through interactive storytelling.

Pictured above: the stages involved in making your own Law RPG Beginner's Handbook: fold, cut, staple, and share.

1 If you're looking for a stand-alone die, I made this webapp that let's you roll one with any number of sides you like.

Online Voting (Setting a Dificulty Class)

To make it easy for fractional judges to set a difficulty class, you can use CALI's InstaPoll site along with the below bookmarklet. Just open the poll and run the bookmarklet. It will prompt you for the total number of voters. It assumes only two options: A and B. Ask students who they think should win the argument, "A or B?" Have them vote. Once the total number of voters equals the value you set, the site will reveal the difficulty class (DC) for the task (i.e., the value a side must roll to succeed). I tend to have the moving party be the one to roll. Also, I reserve the right to add a modifier to a DC if I think the factional judges are being too lenient. To save this bookmarklet DifficultyClass , drag it to your toolbar. If none of that made any sense, I suggest reviewing the handbook.

Course Links

Here are the sites for both of the courses I've taught using this method. If you end up teaching your own, reach out, as I'd love to link to it here.

By David Colarusso