The Justice Stephen G. Breyer Community Learning Center on Courts and the Constitution
Discovering Justice (District of Massachusetts and First Circuit)
Discovering Justice provides civic and justice education through innovative in-school, after-school, and courthouse field trip programs that teach elementary and middle school students about the justice system, the role of law in a democratic society, and the fundamental importance of good citizenship.
District of Maine
Field trips and courthouse tours, plus the "Ask a Judge!" traveling program for high schools, where federal judges visit schools to discuss their careers and the Constitution.
District of Massachusetts
Information about the Nelson and Lindsay Fellowships for students, and partnership with Discovering Justice, a civic education nonprofit based in the Moakley Courthouse.
District of New Hampshire Outreach Activities
Includes a Naturalization program for middle school students and a "You Be the Judge" sentencing-simulation program for high school students.
District of Puerto Rico
"Supreme Court and My Hometown" program, plus upcoming/previous outreach event listings and an online student-group visit request form.
District of Rhode Island
The court's "Public Resources" page includes a Civics Education Program section — school/civic groups can request a courthouse tour or civics program via an online form.
Justice for All: Courts in the Community (Second Circuit)
Public website produced by the Second Circuit. Includes information on court programs, educational materials for high school and adult learners, distance learning, and courthouse visits.
District of Connecticut
Year-round program menu (guest readers, mock trials/hearings, naturalization ceremonies) organized around Law Day, Constitution Day, and Bill of Rights Day; anchored by the Hon. Warren W. Eginton Justice Institute, a free 5-day summer camp.
Northern District of New York
Courthouse tours, judge discussions, and annual outreach recaps for visiting school and community groups.
Western District of New York
Currently features a large 125th-Anniversary Civic Outreach Program (a Barnette-based curriculum taught by 100+ volunteer attorneys in 18 schools) and an essay/mock-argument competition.
Courts, Community, and Rule of Law (Third Circuit)
District of Delaware
Includes high school fellowship program, judge chats, and mock trials.
District of New Jersey
"Open Doors to Federal Courts" tour/visit program with an online request form. The court has also launched a standalone "The Federal Courts, Civics & You" Learning Center website.
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Community Outreach and Public Relations Committee supporting education on the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence with students of all ages.
Western District of Pennsylvania
Constitution Day video/discussion packets (featuring Justice Breyer), the Third Circuit "Courts, Community, and Rule of Law" essay contest, and a courthouse tour request form.
Fourth Circuit - Courts4Civics
Civics Essay Contests and Constitution Day Programs
District of Maryland
Courthouse visits, historical and art exhibits on display, and a link to the Fourth Circuit's Courts4Civics program.
Western District of North Carolina
Civics Education page exploring citizenship, naturalization, and the federal courts; links to Kids.gov and U.S. Courts educational resources.
Southern District of West Virginia
Curated links to the UVA Center for Politics' Youth Leadership Initiative, iCivics, and the Civics Renewal Network.
Fifth Circuit Civics Education
Eastern District of Louisiana
Very active outreach log — naturalization ceremonies, African American/Women's/AAPI History Month programs, mock trials, Roadways to the Bench, and community-service initiatives.
Middle District of Louisiana
Chronological "judicial officers in the community" log — moot court hosting, African American Heritage Celebrations, a Constitution Day naturalization/discussion program for students, and school visits.
Eastern District of Texas
Law Day Art Contest
Northern District of Texas
Summer Teacher Institute
Connections: You, Your Courts, Your Democracy (Sixth Circuit)
Public website with teacher and student resources, information about the federal courts, and descriptions of court civics programs.
Eastern District of Michigan
School tours of the Theodore Levin Courthouse in Detroit, home to the "Historical Society Museum: The Court and Its History."
Eastern District of Kentucky
Civics Education page — judges and staff provide outreach opportunities.
Northern District of Ohio
Court visit/speaker request form, Constitution Day and Bill of Rights Day observances, and an annual district-wide student Civics Contest (essay/poster/video) across Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown.
Southern District of Ohio
Large teacher-resource table (federal court basics, Constitution, Bill of Rights), a courthouse-visit/speaker request form, and city-specific "Civics Outreach Memories" pages for Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton.
Connections - Eastern District of Tennessee Outreach Site
Educational information and court events
Western District of Tennessee
Teachers Law School, Teen Discourse and Decisions
Northern District of Illinois Community Outreach
Courthouse tours, a Judicial Speakers Bureau, case-flow teaching materials, and the Judge John F. Grady Virtual Summer Institute for Teachers.
Southern District of Illinois Community Outreach
Primarily a charitable/volunteer program (Joint Community Outreach Committee) — food drives, the Court Assisted Program for supervised releasees, and similar community-service work.
Southern District of Indiana Federal Court Learning Center
Newly opened in-courthouse learning center in Indianapolis, plus a Teacher Institute and Bill of Rights Day programming.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
Kids, Courts, and Citizenship — a program for City of Milwaukee students, created by the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association in partnership with the Court, Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. Probation Office, and the U.S. Marshal's Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Also has a Summer Youth Institute, Teacher Institute, and Mentor and Internship programs.
Judicial Learning Center (Eighth Circuit and District of Missouri)
Exhibits, Court Visits, Summer Boy Scout and Girl Scout Programs, Art Contest, Teacher Institute, Mock Trials
Eastern District of Arkansas
Has a social media account to announce court outreach events. Home to the recreated 1957 "Era-Faithful Courtroom and Civic Learning Center" (Little Rock Central High integration case) and a student Mock Trial Competition.
Western District of Arkansas
Workshops, courthouse tours, and community outreach events; contact is a dedicated Civics@arwd.uscourts.gov address.
District of Minnesota
Links to the Minnesota Justice & Democracy Centers, naturalization ceremonies, and "Open Doors"; promotes a LinkedIn page for outreach updates.
Eastern District of Missouri
Routes to the Judicial Learning Center (above) plus a Judicial Speakers Bureau and Law Day/Constitution Day/Bill of Rights Day pages.
District of Arizona
"Outreach" page (Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse, Phoenix) inviting school groups, youth organizations, and international guests for courthouse tours, judge conversations, and virtual judge visits.
Northern District of California
Community Outreach page — courthouse visits across its divisions, a civics contest for students, and regular naturalization ceremonies; contact is a dedicated civics coordinator.
Eastern District of California
Constitution Day, "Open Doors to Federal Courts," and Law Day in Yosemite programs, plus links to teacher resources and courthouse history brochures.
Southern District of California Judicial Learning Center
Dedicated learning-center microsite covering court history, community outreach/court programs, and rotating art/essay exhibits; ties into Ninth Circuit Courts & Community Outreach.
District Court of Guam Civics and Legal Education
Student/teacher resource hub, plus the Ninth Circuit Courts & Community Committee, Ninth Circuit Civics Contest, and ABA Law Day Event.
Eastern District of Washington
Webinars, teacher resources, Bill of Rights Photography Contest
Western District of Washington
Judicial Institute for Teachers
Public Education (Tenth Circuit)
District of Kansas
Education & Outreach page — a summer program for summer associates/law students/interns (law clerk panel, lunch with judges, courthouse tour), plus Constitution Day lesson plans and a court history book.
Citizens, Civics, and the Courts (Eleventh Circuit)
Middle District of Alabama
Courthouse-visit program for school and civic groups to observe proceedings, plus a judge speakers program for civic clubs.
Northern District of Alabama
Courthouse tours (civil or criminal track), a remote/Zoom mock-trial exercise called "CD3," and judge-produced civics video series, including Judge Douglas Ginsburg's "Civics Fundamentals" and "A More or Less Perfect Union."
Middle District of Florida
Menu of programs (courthouse visits, adult education, civics ceremonies, reenactments, school field trips, student contests) that vary by division.
Southern District of Florida
Community and Educational Outreach, Civics Education and Volunteer Opportunities page — mock trials, "Legal Up!" civic and life-skills education for at-risk youth in Miami-Dade, and Heritage Month celebrations.
Federal Circuit Civic Education
For more information about the Breyer Learning Center and Civics in the First Circuit, please contact: Allison Guenthner 617-748-9347 |