On November 12, 2024, about 30 high school students from Alexandria City High School traveled to the U.S. Bankruptcy Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia to participate in the Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program, a national initiative of the U.S. Courts. Through simulated legal proceedings in federal courthouses, students participating in the program practice
listening with an open mind, showing respect for the opinions of others, and finding common ground in areas of disagreement.
During the three-hour program in November, the students first were welcomed with a hot-topic icebreaker: should students be allowed to wear pajamas to school? The students expanded upon the question and turned the dial up by asking: should teachers
be allowed to wear pajamas? The students held firm to their beliefs but engaged in open minded conversations that drew on their personal experience to explain their views on this hot button issue.
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In the end, the divide between the students and their adult counterparts remained, leaving students in the majority that yes, pajamas are acceptable for school attire only for students. During the process they explored the principles that govern open, honest, and civil conversations, and they later applied these principles during a courtroom simulation in which a student
jury debated the arguments their classmates had presented to a judge. The factual scenario at issue was based Elonis v. United States, 575 U.S. 723 (2015), and required consideration whether one student had threatened another student sufficient for
conviction under a federal statute. Several volunteer attorneys worked with students assigned as attorneys and others assigned as jurors. After hearing arguments from their peers, the student jurors engaged in thoughtful conversation filled with varying
perspectives, testing their beliefs against the law and facts of the case.
When asked what civility skills they gained from the program, students shared that moving forward they would “listen more and not be so one-sided,” and be “interested [in] seeing everyone’s viewpoint and how everyone [can] be respectful.”
The students noted that civility goes beyond words, commenting that “positive body language,” and “carrying [ones]self with professionalism,” are also skills to practice when engaging in civil discourse.
Senior Circuit Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, who presided over the courtroom simulation and answered questions from the students, said that judges also learn a lot from participating in the Civil Discourse program. “We get a direct connection
to concerns and questions raised by the students, who will be eligible to vote and to serve on juries in just a few years. By discussing their concerns and by answering their questions, judges can help encourage the students’ future participation
in those core functions of our democracy.”
In addition to participating in the courtroom simulation, students had the opportunity to meet various staff members who work in the courthouse. The presentation involved a wide variety of careers, and students learned that many different skills
are required to carry out the day-to-day functions of the courts.
Judges who would like to preside over a Civil Discourse program, attorneys who would like to serve as volunteer coaches, and teachers who would like to partner with the Fourth Circuit to bring this program to schools in their area in Maryland, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia can contact the Courts4Civics committee at civics@ca4.uscourts.gov.
