That’s a wrap!

Students in the Fall 2024 cohort of The Supreme Court and My Hometown finalized and presented their capstone projects on December 10, 2024.

Program Background

In the fall of 2024, the Courts in St. Louis, Missouri, hosted another term of The Supreme Court and My Hometown, the national civics program of the Supreme Court Historical Society. This initiative engages high school students in a thorough study of the process and substantive issues of a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in a unique and personalized way. Participants learn how the Judicial Branch interacts with the other two branches of government and their roles and responsibilities as active citizens. A distinguishing feature of this program is the focus on Supreme Court cases that originated in the students’ hometowns and local courts.

Twenty high school students were selected for the after-school program which featured Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, a landmark First Amendment student speech case. The program began with a 2-day orientation in July and continued after school on most Tuesdays throughout the fall semester.

The Legal Community Helps Out

Working with local attorney mentors, the students studied First Amendment law and every aspect of the case – from its trial in the Eastern District of Missouri, to oral arguments in the Eighth Circuit, to analyzing the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States. Participants learned from first-person case participants and legal experts throughout the term and were able to demonstrate new skills through realistic courtroom simulation activities.

Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark, Eastern District of Missouri presided over a courtroom simulation during which the student teams presented evidence and mock closing arguments in a trial courtroom.

U.S. Circuit Judge Raymond W. Gruender, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, coached the student-justices and presided as Chief Justice during the moot court of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

Creating the Capstone

For the capstone project, the students conducted oral history interviews with participants in the case, including the three plaintiffs, as well as local and national experts, to develop an archive of voices discussing the significance of the case. Short sections of the interviews will become permanent additions to the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier exhibit created by the 2023 cohort of Hometowns students, currently on display in the Judicial Learning Center. The student groups presented their capstone projects to the court family on December 10, 2024 at the closing celebration.

Click here to view the 2023 capstone project on exhibit in the Judicial Learning Center.