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
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
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
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)
Pathways to the Bench(link is external)
About the Federal Court
Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review
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
Six-Minute Podcast: Jury Service Overview
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
Annual Observances and Resources
African American History Month (February)
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
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