Elizabeth Ray
From July 9th through the 11th, The Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. Institute successfully held its 2024 Scholars Conference. The conference was attended by middle and high school educators from five different states who teach a variety of courses.
Throughout the three-day conference, attendees participated in a variety of classes and activities designed to provide civics education professional development through learning about the U.S. Constitution and landmark court cases decided at the Frank Johnson Courthouse in Montgomery. A range of distinguished speakers, including federal judges, legal professionals and educational experts, led discussions with the teachers.
The program began with an overview of the court system led by Senior District Judge Keith Watkins and Magistrate Judge Chad Bryan. The session focused on understanding the organization of the judicial system, including appeals processes and the differences in jurisdiction of state and federal courts. The conference then proceeded with classes on the structure of civil and criminal court cases led by Magistrate Judge Jerusha Adams and Chief Magistrate Judge Stephen Doyle.
On the second day, attendees participated in a Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions workshop run by local volunteer attorneys and law clerks. As part of the workshop, teachers participated in a mock court hearing led by Magistrate Judge Kelly Pate.
Additionally, teachers had the opportunity to attend a sentencing presided over by Chief District Judge Emily Marks. The sentencing was preceded by a discussion with Judge Watkins, who walked teachers through what to expect during the hearing. After the sentencing, Judge Marks—who was joined by the prosecution and defense attorneys from the hearing—discussed the sentencing process with teachers.
At the end of the day, teachers visited their choice of historical sites located in downtown Montgomery. Available sites included the Freedom Rides Museum, the Rosa Parks Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.
Throughout the conference, teachers also heard from educator and lawyer Steven Steinbach, co-editor of With Liberty and Justice for All?: The Constitution in the Classroom. Steinbach gave two presentations to the group, including “Why Teach the Constitution in the Classroom?” and “How to Teach the Constitution in the Classroom”.
On the final day, teachers learned about historical court cases and the life of Judge Frank M. Johnson from Judge Watkins. Following this, teachers split into breakout groups and were tasked with creating lesson plans based on the previously discussed court cases. At the end of the day, each group presented their plans to other attendees. Presentation topics ranged from a lesson about segregation and Browder v. Gayle to discussions about the First Amendment right to protest and the court case Williams v. Wallace.
Sinead Turner, who teaches 11th grade English at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, said that she thinks that attending the conference will aid her in helping her students develop “a better understanding of our Constitution and legal system.”
LaMarr Clasberry, a 7th grade Civics and Geography teacher at Clay-Chalkville Middle School in Birmingham, noted that a particularly memorable aspect of the conference for him was spending time in the federal courthouse. “Being on the witness stand that Dr. Martin Luther King was,” Mr. Clasberry said, “that gave me chills.”
The Johnson Institute holds the Scholars Conference annually. Educators interested in learning more about or attending the Scholars Conference can sign up for the Institute’s newsletter for updates regarding programming in 2025.