Add a Judge and Stir: Chapters Challenged to Advance Civics Education With “Toolkit”

America is facing a crisis in civics education. In a letter addressed to chapter presidents and circuit vice presidents early in this fiscal year, President W. West Allen wrote about how research reports have revealed a weakness in Americans’ understanding of our governmental system.

“A large majority cannot name all three branches of government, and some cannot name a single branch of government. Many do not understand basic Constitutional principles such as popular sovereignty, separation of powers, federalism, rule of law, judicial independence, or how these protect liberty. It is our job as lawyers to address this crisis. Our role as guardians and teachers of the Constitution is to act and not be acted upon.”

But there is something that we can do as an organization to improve this situation. In his letter, President Allen asked every chapter to work together with a local federal court and carry out at least one civics education program for youth this year, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has created a “Civics Education Toolkit” to facilitate meeting this challenge.

This Toolkit offers guidance for many well-organized programs that require minimal preparation. All programs include involvement of your local courts, offering excellent opportunities for chapter members to collaborate with the judiciary. Each program requires the participation of a judge, legal personnel, and educators as well as FBA volunteers. The goal of the Toolkit is to educate young people and bring them into contact with the legal system and judges in a positive way.

The Bill of Rights Day Program is a 50-minute discussion activity based on the three-minute video “Students Sound Off on the Bill of Rights,” which is designed to coincide with Bill of Rights Day in December but can be presented at any time. Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions is a distance-learning program of 50 to 90 minutes that involves high school or college students in realistic legal proceedings based on situations in which typically law-abiding teens can find themselves. Court Camps are half-day, three-day, or five-day courthouse-immersion summer camps in which participants work with judges, lawyers, and justice system professionals.

Complete, program-in-a-box resources and agendas are ready for immediate use and require only a 30-minute review and a brief meeting before using them in courtrooms and in the distance-learning space—“just add a judge and stir.” Rebecca Fanning, national outreach manager for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, created and tested these programs and will put your chapter in touch with local judges or civics coordinators at the court (who will then pair you with judges for the program) and facilitate introductions. Rebecca has even developed training for FBA leaders to help ensure success (dates to be announced).

Chapters that participate in planning these programs can realize many benefits, including the chance to work with your court on a common goal that leads to opportunities to strengthen or create relationships with the local bench.

The time to address national deficiencies in civics education is now. “This work is more important today than any generation since our nation’s founding, for we fight against civic apathy and ignorance,” President Allen wrote. “As our Constitution hangs tenuously in the balance, our choices decide our fate: whether we act or are acted upon. I ask you to be not weary in well-doing and choose to act.”

For more information visit our civics education resource page.

About the Author

Cathy Barrie is the manager of Foundation and Outreach for the FBA. She handles daily operations of the Foundation and coordinates outreach efforts for the association, including the Civics Essay Contest and national awards. She was previously managing editor of The Federal Lawyer from 1997 to 2004.

About the FBA

Founded in 1920, the Federal Bar Association is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our more than 16,000 members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors. Visit us at fedbar.org to learn more.