Judges of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina have been actively engaging students and community members across the state through a wide range of civics and educational programs. In recent months, ten district and magistrate judges across the District’s divisions—including Anderson, Aiken, Columbia, and Charleston—have participated in outreach efforts designed to increase public understanding of the federal judiciary, connecting with students ranging from elementary and middle school classrooms to high school, college, and law school programs.
The court is also preparing for a significant upcoming milestone. In June, the full court plans to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence with a special naturalization ceremony led by Chief Judge Timothy M. Cain, with assistance from District Judges Joseph F. Anderson Jr. and Sherri A. Lydon.
Chief Judge Cain, who presides in Anderson, recently spoke during an Inns of Court program and moderated an ethics continuing legal education program hosted by the Federal Bar Association at the G. Ross Anderson Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse. He also welcomed a tenth-grade government class from Palmetto High School in Williamston for an educational courthouse tour and hosted a homeschool consortium whose students observed a hearing and met with the judge afterward.
Judge Joseph F. Anderson, who sits in Aiken, continued mentoring first and third year law students through a local Inns of Court program, supported the mock trial team at Strom Thurmond High School, and participated in several community speaking engagements.
In Columbia, District Judge Joseph Dawson III spoke at several events, including a program hosted by the South Carolina chapter of the Federal Bar Association. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis met with a class from Meadow Glen Middle School through the Courts4Civics “Just Ask a Judge” program.
Magistrate Judge Shiva V. Hodges also visited Meadow Glen Middle School in Lexington to speak with the ROX Girls’ Group about careers in law, and later met with eighth-grade students at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia after they observed a federal hearing. She is also scheduled to speak on the “Foundations of Freedom” at the annual convention of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington, D.C.
In Charleston, District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Law and Society Symposium at the Charleston Museum, titled “Problem-Solving Justice, Public Health, and Institutional Responsibility,” and participated in a panel discussion on rehabilitation, reentry, and civil rights. She is also preparing to participate in an upcoming mock trial program involving students from Lucy Beckham High School in Mount Pleasant.
Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker recently hosted a criminal justice class from Lander University. Students observed court proceedings and met with representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office, Federal Public Defender, United States Marshals Service, United States Probation and Pretrial Services, and the court’s clerk’s office. Magistrate Judge Molly H. Cherry will soon host criminal justice students from Trident Technical College for a courthouse visit later this spring.
Magistrate Judge Kevin F. McDonald also welcomed college and law students to observe federal hearings and participate in a question-and-answer session. He additionally hosted local Boy Scouts during their annual courthouse visit as part of the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge program.
Other judges throughout the District have participated in additional outreach efforts, including law school and college speaking engagements, law enforcement graduation ceremonies, and naturalization ceremonies. At one ceremony attended by students, James Ishida, Circuit Executive for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, shared his family’s immigration story and his ancestors’ journey to American citizenship.