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Community and Educational Outreach

Community and Educational Resources

The judges and staff of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi applaud your interest in learning about the federal judiciary.  On this page you will find resources to learn more about our federal court system and how it works. We hope that you will use these tools for school projects, papers, or to answer any questions you may have. Please contact us to schedule a courthouse tour, field trip, or for further information at outreach@msnd.uscourts.gov.


Field Trips

Please contact us at outreach@msnd.uscourts.gov to schedule a field trip to introduce the federal judiciary branch to your students and provide them with an opportunity to meet and hear from federal judges and other judicial employees. Below you will some sample agendas. (All requests will be subject to final approval by the Chief Judge).

Option 1: Courthouse Tour and Scripted Mock Trial: This program will run from 2-3 hours and includes a mock trial script tailored to various teaching scenarios.

Option 2: Courthouse Tour and Speakers: This tour can range from 2 hours to a half day, depending on the time you have available, and can include a tour of the courtrooms, jury rooms, and other facilities.  We can also arrange to have speakers available for your class, to include (depending on availability), a federal judge, a Probation and Pretrial Services officer,  the Jury administrator, a U.S. Marshal, a Federal Public Defender, and an assistant U.S. Attorney.

Option 3: In class or virtual event. We can coordinate with teachers to have a judicial employee(s) come to the classroom to discuss the federal judiciary.


Mississippi Northern District

Virtual Learning Resources

Brown v Board of Education Re-enactment

Access to Education: Plyler v. Doe and Brown v. Board of Education

Profile of Justice Thurgood Marshall

Rosa Parks Ride to Justice Video

Remembering Thurgood Marshall Video


Law Day 

Law Day Resources 

From Suffragist Sashes to Black Armbands, Law Day Distance Learning Focuses on Role of Courts

Video: Court Shorts Rule of Law


Virtual Learning Resources

Distance Learning Resources: Follow this link for a variety of virtual learning civics lessons with activities, videos, lesson plans, and discussion questions.

Social Media and Cyberbullying 90 minute activity

16 Year Olds and the Right to Vote 50 minute activity

iCivics


The Rule of Law in Real Life

In the following activities, you will apply landmark Supreme Court law to contemporary, everyday situations:

The First Amendent: Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assemply, and Petition

The Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure

The Fifth Amendment: Your Rights When in Police Custody

The Sixth Amendment: Right to Counsel and a Fair Trial.

Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions


Behind the Robe

Did you ever wonder how someone becomes a federal judge? Like the rest of us, federal judges come from a wide variety of backgrounds and each has their own unique story. Explore the links below to learn more about federal judges.

Federal Judges' Oath(link is external)

About Federal Judges

Pathways to the Bench(link is external)

Women in the Judiciary

An Impartial Judiciary


About the Federal Court

Federal vs State Courts

Court Roles and Structure

Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review

Types of Cases

Map of Federal Circuits

Federal Courts and the Public

Careers in the Federal Courts


Guardians of the Constitution

The federal courts uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

Interactive Constitution(link is external)

Read Along with the Preamble(link is external)

Students Reflect on the Promises of the Preamble(link is external)

Students Sound Off: The Bill of Rights


Jury Service

One of the most important duties of a United States citizen is serving on a jury.  The jury plays a critical role in the federal judiciary and ensure that justice is served.

Jury Service in the Federal Courts

Court Shorts: The Importance of Jury Service

Video: Jury Service Overview

Juror Experiences

Six-Minute Podcast: Jury Service Overview 

Learn About Jury Service

Quiz: Qualifications for Being a Juror

Classroom and Distance Learning Activities: Sixth Amendment

Classroom and Distance Learning Activities: How the Rule of Law Opened the Jury Box to All


POWER Act Resources

The Pro Bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2018 (the POWER Act), seeks to promote pro bono legal services as an important tool to empower survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to engage our citizens in assisting these survivors through annual court hosted events.

Civil Domestic Abuse Protection Orders Presentation

MS Crime Victims' Bill of Rights

Domestic Abuse Protection Orders

Intimate Partner Violence Presentation

Video: Why Domestic Violence Victims Don't Leave, Leslie Morgan Steiner

Video: What You Need to Know about Stalkerware, Eva Galperin

Protection Orders 101


Annual Observances and Resources

African American History Month (February)

Women's History Month (March) 

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)

Law Day (May 1st)

LGBTQIA Pride Month (June)

Juneteenth (June 19th)

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)

Constitution and Citizenship Day (September 17)

Native American Heritage Month (November)

Bill of Rights Day (December 15th)


Merit Badge Resources

Citizenship in the Nation