Open Doors to Federal Courts

OPEN DOORS TO FEDERAL COURTS

Open Doors to Federal Courts is a national initiative that local federal judges conduct in their courtrooms. The annual event, which is presided over by the host judge, is a realistic trial simulation that involves all participants. Volunteer attorneys coach the students during the program. The topic is a new, teen-relevant issue every year.

To find out if your local federal court is participating, contact the National Outreach Manager for the Federal Courts at AOgrp_Outreach@ao.uscourts.gov.

2012 - 2013 National Initiative

Courtroom Hearings Introduce Students to Judges and Jury Service

Judges who offer the national Open Doors to Federal Courts event every year host local high school students who participate in true-to-life courtroom hearings on timely, teen-relevant issues. Using a modified Oxford style debate all students have the opportunity to voice their opinions as jurors or lawyers in a courtroom before a judge.

The First Amendment and Flash Mobs:
Where is the Line?

When protesters brought pickets and chanting to the funeral of soldier Matthew Snyder, his family brought a lawsuit against them. Snyder v. Phelps went to the Supreme Court of the United States, raising the question: Does the First Amendment protect protesters at a funeral from liability for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the family of the deceased?

In 2011, an 8-1 decision held that the First Amendment protected the protesters' speech. In this activity for the courtroom or classroom, students apply the Supreme Court precedent to a fictional scenario in which the Our Fair Share movement took to the streets to protest student loan debt and the lack of jobs for college graduates. An observer of the protests stated her opinions in a way that raised the same question that the Supreme Court had to decide. Looking to Snyder v. Phelps, how would you argue – and decide – the fictional case?