“The JLC is a fabulous resource to teach our citizens, both young and mature, about the role of the courts, the importance of the rule of law, and the benefits to society of an effective judicial system.”- Mark Leadlove, JLC President, newly elected.

Glenn Davis is a partner at HeplerBroom with a practice focused on dynamic business disputes, antitrust litigation, and cybersecurity challenges and an alum of Washington University School of Law. “The JLC is the best kept secret in civic education on the rule of law. It is exciting to see the students’ energy and creative skills come alive while participating in our system of justice,” said Davis.

Learn more about the Judicial Learning Center at https://judiciallearningcenter.org/.

A highlight of the Law Day visit is the Judicial Learning Center where the students learned more about the rule of law and the structure and function of the federal courts. They also had an opportunity to bring classroom learning to life as they examined Mary Beth Tinker’s arm band from the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines – the case that first tackled student speech rights in public schools and continues to shape student rights today.

Petitioner Team coached by Maggie Peters, Pro Se Law Clerk, Eastern District of Missouri

Respondent Team Coached by LeeAnn Miller, Pro Se Law Clerk, Eastern District of Missouri

Justices Team coached by Hon. Rodney H. Holmes, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Missouri

The vote was unanimous! Every single student would recommend this field trip to a friend.

My students said that was the best field trip they’ve been on in the past two years… and we did laser tag last week, so clearly everyone helped make an incredible impact on them! Thank you, and thank everyone who participated. It was truly wonderful! – Dave Peterson, Law Enforcement Instructor, North Technical High School

Click the button if you would like your class to be considered for the 2027 Law Day program.  

During the week, the Judicial Learning Center and the U.S. Courts in St. Louis welcomed student groups to the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse for a week-long celebration. Bus transportation for each group was provided by the Eastern District of Missouri and the courtroom activities were supported by local attorneys from the Judicial Learning Center’s Board of Directors. Each of these groups began their visits with an activity in the Judicial Learning Center.

Monday & Thursday

Two groups from Francis Howell High School toured the courthouse and met with a United States Probation Officer. Both classes observed a change of plea hearing in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri and the participated in an interactive courtroom simulation, including voir dire and juror deliberations, led by local attorneys from the Judicial Learning Center’s Board of Directors.

Wednesday

A class from Margaret Buerkle Middle School had a unique opportunity to chat with the attorneys, court staff, and a probation officer preparing for a sentencing hearing in the Eastern District of Missouri. The students stayed for the court proceeding and then toured the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, where they engaged in a mock oral argument, imagining that the defendant had filed an appeal in the case they observed.

Friday

On Friday, the History Club from Hannibal High School met with an Assistant Federal Public Defender and an Assistant United States Attorney for a crash course on the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unlawful searches and seizures – specifically related to one’s home, and some key exceptions. After observing a sentencing hearing in the Eastern District of Missouri, the students broke into three teams: justices, petitioners, and respondents. The teams were coached by local attorneys from the Judicial Learning Center’s Board of Directors. The day culminated with a moot court activity in the Eighth Circuit’s En Banc Courtroom.

MORE ABOUT CIVIC LEARNING WEEK

On September 17, Cape Central High School traveled to St. Louis to celebrate Constitution Day 2025 with the U.S. Courts and the Judicial Learning Center. The day began with a welcome address from Chief Judge Stephen R. Clark, Eastern District of Missouri. Judge Clark also offered a juror orientation to prepare the students for the activity of the day.

In the Judicial Learning Center

After the students received their role assignment for the mock trial, they visited the Judicial Learning Center to learn more about the federal judicial branch, prepare for their case, and examine the First Amendment exhibits featured in the learning center: Tinker v. Des Moines and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

The Mock Trials in the Eastern District of Missouri

Once the students had an opportunity to explore the Judicial Learning Center, it was time to explore the rest of the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse. They observed a federal sentencing hearing and had an opportunity to see the judicial system at work. With a brief period of preparation, it was time to put their skills to the test with mock trials based on the student First Amendment rights. Attorneys from the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office coached the student lawyers as they advised their clients, conducted direct examination, and cross-examined their witnesses. Student deputy clerks kept the exhibits organized and swore in the jury and witnesses under the direction of case managers from the Clerk’s Office. The Hon. Stephen R. Welby, U.S. Magistrate Judge, and the Hon. Patricia L. Cohen, U.S. Magistrate Judge presided. In both cases, the jurors listened carefully and returned verdicts for the schools confirming that these students from Cape Central High School place a high premium on a disruption free learning environment!

The Eighth Circuit

No visit is complete without a trip to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Each student left with their own pocket Constitution and a deeper understanding of the role that a 236 year-old document still plays in their lives!

The second part uses a silly, fictious courtroom scenario, with 19 inaccurate statements.  These statements sometimes target vocabulary, but also involve the trial process and judicial ethics. Students will use what they know about the judicial process, courts, and judicial independence to read the case and pick out the inaccurate statements. Once they are identified, students should note what is wrong with the statement and provide a correction in the space given.

Corresponding Student Center Pages   

• About Federal Judges 
• Judicial Independence 

Suggested Time Needed  

2 class periods 

• Materials
• Objectives & Standards
• Procedure

• • A: Understanding Judicial Independence 
  • B: What’s Wrong with this Court?  

• After completing this activity, students will: 

  • Understand the factors that guarantee the judicial branch’s independence. 
  • Apply the knowledge they have gained about the court process and judicial ethics to pick out inaccurate information.   
  • Have a greater understanding of the judicial process in general. 
  • Have a deeper understand of the reasons for some processes and procedures and recognize how they are related to judicial independence. 

   

  Guiding Questions   

  • What is in place to guarantee that judges are free from public opinion? 
  • What safeguards the independence of the judiciary from the president and Congress? 
  • How might the court system be different if judges were not independent from public opinion, or from the other two branches of government? 
  • How is the idea that the judiciary is independent related to the concept of “separation of powers”? 
  • What does it mean that judges are bound by the “rule of law, not of man”? 
  • How does the independence of the judiciary, and the judicial code of ethics, provide for all people to be treated equally and fairly before the court? 

   

  Missouri Grade Level and Course Level Expectations  

  • 9-12.GV.3.GS.D – Describe and give examples of how the constitutional principle of checks and balances limits the powers of government and leaders. 
  • 9-12.GV.4.GS.C – Compare the various processes pertaining to the selection of political leaders at the federal, state, and local level. 

• Place students into groups of 2, 3, or 4 depending on your class size. 

  Distribute the handout for part 1, and instruct students to go to the Student Center pages at https://judiciallearningcenter.org/about-federal-judges/ and  https://judiciallearningcenter.org/judicial-independence/  

  Tell them to use the two web pages to complete the questions on the handout.   

  Allow time to complete. When finished, discuss the answers. Lead a discussion to include the following points: 

  • Judicial independence is a core concept of the American judicial system. 
  • The courts and judges are independent from public opinion because they are not elected. 
  • The courts and judges are independent from the other two branches because they can’t be fired in times of good behavior, and their salary can’t be reduced by the president or Congress.   
  • Because the courts and judges are independent, they are free to make decisions according to the law, even if those decisions might be unpopular. 
  • Federal judges are bound by the law, and by a strict code of ethics, which provides guidance for judges in maintaining their independence. 

   After summarizing part 1, distribute copies of the handout for part 2. Explain to students that they will be reading a brief scenario about a court case.   

   Explain that there are many errors in the summary, and their job is to find them all. 

   Allow time to complete. When finished, discuss the answers from the teacher guide.   

  Conclusion

  Ask students to share their thoughts on the following: 

  • What exactly is judicial independence? 
  • How does judicial independence provide for all to be treated equally and fairly by the court? 

  Review the Guiding Questions 

  • What is in place to guarantee that judges are free from public opinion? 
  • What safeguards the independence of the judiciary from the president and Congress? 
  • How might the court system be different if judges were not independent from public opinion, or from the other two branches of government? 
  • How is the idea that the judiciary is independent related to the concept of “separation of powers”? 
  • What does it mean that judges are bound by the “rule of law, not of man”? 
  • How does the independence of the judiciary, and the judicial code of ethics, provide for all people to be treated equally and fairly before the court? 

The post What’s Wrong with this Court? first appeared on The Judicial Learning Center.]]> https://judiciallearningcenter.org/portfolio/whats-wrong-with-this-court/feed/ 0 https://judiciallearningcenter.org/portfolio/understanding-the-types-of-cases/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=understanding-the-types-of-cases Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:52 +0000 https://judiciallearningcenter.org/?post_type=portfolio&p=6865 What is the difference between civil and criminal cases and how do you know if a case will be heard in state court or in federal court? In part 1, students will be asked to read and compare two current news stories and identify the key differences between civil and criminal lawsuits. This should be completed before any detailed instruction on the differences between civil and criminal cases. In part 2, students will use the Student Center webpages and/or a fact sheet to differentiate between federal and state court cases. The activities in this lesson can be assigned to students individually or in groups. Corresponding Student Center Pages State Courts vs. Federal Courts Types of Court Cases Suggested Time Needed 1-2 class periods  

Download the PDF

Corresponding Student Center Pages 

• The Constitution and Rights 

Suggested Time Needed 

1-2 class periods 

• Materials
• Objectives & Standards
• Procedure

• • The United States Constitution 
  • The State Constitution 
  • A: Bill of Rights Fact Sheet 
  • B: Comparing State and Federal Constitutions 

• After completing this activity, students will gain an understanding of the following:  

  • The powers and limits of the national government as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. 
  • The application of the Bill of Rights to both state and national governments. 
  • Constitutions, both state and federal, have safeguards to protect and preserve individual rights.

  Students will also:  

  • Read and use the U.S. Constitution and state constitution as primary source documents. 
  • Read and evaluate the information they find in the documents and use this information to answer questions based on their reading.  

   

  Guiding Questions 

  • Do the states guarantee the same civil rights and liberties in their constitutions as the Constitution of the United States guarantees to all citizens?  
  • What would happen if the U.S. Constitution did not define civil liberties? Would the states make sure that people got their rights?  
  • Does the fact that most states have a Bill of Rights in their own Constitution mean that state governments are more or less likely to usurp peoples’ basic liberties?

  Missouri Grade Level and Course Level Expectations 

  • 6-8.AH.3.GS.F – Describe the origins and purposes of the Bill of Rights and evaluate the enduring significance of these concepts to the preservation of individual rights and liberties. 
  • 9-12.GV.3.CC.D – Analyze the changing relationship between state and federal governmental powers. 
  • 9-12.GV.3.GS.E – Explain how the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments limit the power of government, protect individual liberty, and provide for equality under the law. 
  • 9-12.GV.3.GS.F – Compare the structure and function of local, state and federal governments. 

• Lead an introductory discussion on the Bill of Rights. Students will need to know the following terms (which can be found in the Judicial Learning Center Glossary):  

  • Bill of Rights 
  • Incorporation 
  • Precedent 
  • Civil rights 
  • Civil liberties 
  • Due process 

   

  Remind students that most of our fundamental rights, due process rights, and civil liberties are defined in the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. This includes such things as:  

  • Our basic freedoms of religion, speech, press, petition and assembly.  
  • Our right to a trial by jury. 
  • Our right to have a lawyer present at trial.  
  • Our right to be free from illegal search and seizure.  
  • And more . . . . .  

   

  After reviewing some of these basic ideas, remind your students that the original text of the Constitution states that CONGRESS is limited by the Bill of Rights. It does not appear to also limit the state legislatures.  

  Note: Article VI of the Constitution requires that members of the congress, members of the state legislatures, as well as judicial and executive officers of both the national and state governments take an oath to support the U.S. Constitution, so it may presume that these officials at all levels and branches will uphold the Constitution. If the document did not make it clear that the rights implied by the Bill of Rights had to be applied on all levels, do you think state officials would feel bound to do so?  

   

  Use the concept above as a discussion starter by asking your students if they believe that the states would agree to give people rights if the U.S. Constitution did not make them do so.  You might remind students that the 14th Amendment has been used to apply the Bill of Rights to the states, but would states have to “incorporate” the rights alluded to in the Constitution if the 14th Amendment did not exist?  

   

  The activity that follows will ask students to think about what would happen IF the states did not have to comply with the Constitution.  

   

  Distribute A: Bill of Rights Fact Sheet, and B: Comparing the State and Federal Constitutions. 

   

  Students will also need a copy of the United States Constitution and their state’s constitution to complete the study guide. The links for these are provided below and are also included on the student handout.  

  • The state constitution is generally available at the Secretary of State’s Office in your state.  For Missouri you can access the document at: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/Home.aspx?constit=y 
  • Or, a PDF copy of the Missouri Constitution from the Secretary of State’s Office can be found here:  https://www.sos.mo.gov/pubs/constitution 
  • As a teacher, you can ask for a paper copy of the Missouri Constitution from the Secretary of State’s Office. They will send these to you free of charge, if you want to create a classroom set.  You can find information about how to obtain such copies from the link below: http://www.sos.mo.gov/pubs/constitution.asp 

   

  Allow time to complete the study guide. It could be assigned for homework or could be done in class as either an individual, partner, or group activity.  

   

  Some things to point out as your students begin:  

  • They should note the length of the state constitution in comparison to the Constitution of the U.S. Which is longer?  
  • They should note the organization of each document. Is one easier to navigate than other? What makes this true or not?  
  • They should note the number of amendments to each. Generally, the amendment process is simpler at the state level which means that most state constitutions are amended more. The Constitution has only been changed 27 times in over 200 years. How many amendments does your state constitution have?  
  • This might afford you an opening to talk about initiative/petition and the ability of voters on the state level to force the addition of material into the state constitution and into state law.  
  • The study guide asks students to skim through the state constitution looking for similarities to the U.S. Constitution. Students will generally find that the Missouri Constitution does mirror that of the federal government when it comes to rights and civil liberties. 
  • If you aren’t working with the Missouri Constitution you may still see that most state constitutions contain a Bill of Rights, or include many of the rights granted to Americans at the national level.  

   

  Conclusion

  After students finish the study guides, go over answers with them. Then, use the questions below for a post-study guide discussion.  

  • What do you think it means that the Missouri Constitution includes many of the same rights as the U.S. Constitution?  
  • What would happen if those rights were ONLY found in the state constitution or if they were ONLY in the national Constitution?  Why might it be a problem?  
  • Would we as citizens still get the rights listed in the U.S. Constitution if states were not forced to incorporate them?   
  • Could our respective states pick and choose which rights to grant their residents?  
  • Do you think there are some rights that states might prefer to ignore? Which ones? Why?  

   

   Review the Guiding Questions 

  • Do the states guarantee the same civil rights and liberties in their constitutions as the Constitution of the United States guarantees to all citizens?  
  • What would happen if the U.S. Constitution did not define civil liberties? Would the states make sure that people got their rights?  
  • Does the fact that most states have a Bill of Rights in their own Constitution mean that state governments are more or less likely to usurp peoples’ basic liberties?  

   

Corresponding Student Center Pages 

• Article III and the Courts  

Suggested Time Needed 

1 class period 

• Materials
• Objectives & Standards
• Procedure
• Extension

• • A: Article III WebQuest 
  • OR Virtual WebQuest  – Use the template to create your own form to share with your students

• After completing this activity, students will: 

  • Have a greater understanding of the content found in Article III. 
  • Begin to build the vocabulary necessary to understand Article III. 
  • Understand the jurisdiction of the federal courts. 

   

  Guiding Questions 

  • Which article of the U.S. Constitution talks about the federal courts? 
  • Does Article III explain the appointment process for federal judges?  
  • What kind of power is vested in the courts, according to Article III? 
  • What is treason? 
  • What are TWO areas over which the federal courts have jurisdiction? 

   

  Missouri Grade Level and Course Level Expectations 

  6-8 

  • 6-8.AH.3.GS.E – Apply the principles of rule of law, representation, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism to explain the purposes and functions of the Constitution. 

  9-12 

  • 9-12.GV.3.GS.C – Analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government to determine how they function and interact. 
  • 9-12.GV.3.GS.F – Compare the structure and functions of local, state, and federal governments. 
  • 9-12.GV.4.GS.C – Compare the various processes pertaining to the selection of political leaders at the federal, state, and local level. 

• Explain to students that although Article III is the shorter than Articles I or II, it is still very important. 

  Place students into groups of 2, 3, or 4 depending on your class size.  

  Instruct students to navigate their internet browsers to the page they will use: 

  • Student Center page – Article III and the Courts 
  • A suitable online dictionary 

   Distribute copies of A: Article III WebQuest. 

   Allow time to complete. 

   Conclusion

  Go over the WebQuest responses with the class.  

   Review the Guiding Questions 

  • Which article of the U.S. Constitution talks about the federal courts? 
  • Does Article III explain the appointment process for federal judges?  
  • What kind of power is vested in the courts, according to Article III? 
  • What is treason? 
  • What are TWO areas over which the federal courts have jurisdiction? 

• Section 2 of Article III, detailing the jurisdiction of the federal courts, often causes confusion in students. Useful follow up activities can be found by visiting the Student Center and Educator Center pages:  

  • State Courts vs. Federal Courts  
  • Types of Court Cases 
  • Complete the lesson plan Understanding the Types of Cases