The District Court, in collaboration with the Federal Bar Association, invites high school students into the federal courthouse to meet with a U.S. District Court Judge or U.S. Magistrate Judge, and other legal professionals to engage in discussions about legal issues relevant to teenagers today.  Working alongside federal practitioners, students have the opportunity to test their legal knowledge, sharpen their civil discourse skills, and participate in a simulated court hearing on a contemporary Supreme Court case modified to apply to the life of today’s teen.  This program is intended to promote a deeper understanding of the judicial system, and, more significantly, promote civility while discussing a controversial topic.

Our experience has been that, when it comes to engaging students in these programs, the topics and presentations must be informative, relevant to the audience, and entertaining.  So, while we have a template for developing these particular programs, we can also customize them for a particular school or group of students to make it more relevant and interesting to participants.

For more information or to schedule an event, email the Civics Outreach Coordinator at Outreach@tnwd.uscourts.gov.