By Tristan Dumas
The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute hosted its first conference of the 2023 summer at the Frank Johnson Courthouse in Montgomery, AL, with the help of judges, attorneys, and others from the Middle District of Alabama.
June 2023 Class
The teachers attending this conference learned about the U.S. Constitution, independent judiciary, and historic cases of the Middle District of Alabama. The teachers are sure to take back what they’ve learned this week to their students and colleagues.
“The most interesting things I’ve learned is what I can take back to my classroom like the mock lessons, the mock cases… and just the historical facts that I can use and my students can utilize in the classroom,” said Chad Hoffman, a 12th grade teacher from Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Alabama.
This conference is part of an ongoing effort to create a series of events that support teachers and students learning about the Constitution and landmark court cases that have shaped the law in American society. Teachers and other educators in attendance had roots everywhere from Montgomery to Michigan.
Over the three day conference (June 13-15), teachers met and heard from people skilled and knowledgeable in the law–including four judges and nine attorneys–to discuss the work they do, their experience with the Constitution, and other related topics. The group took part in a mock hearing designed for high school students by the U.S. Courts, working with volunteer attorneys and a judge, called Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions.
Daphney Portis participating in CD3 mock hearing.
Daphney Portis, a social justice coordinator at the YWCA Central Alabama thought “it would be awesome to attend this experience in order to get more of that background knowledge to really uplift the work that I do in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).”
A highlight of the conference was when Senior District Judge Keith Watkins discussed historic civil rights cases in the United States like Browder v. Gayle, the 1956 case that ruled Montgomery bus segregation was unconstitutional, and Williams v. Wallace, which authorized and granted protection for the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march.
Other sessions included a dive into the inner workings of civil and criminal cases, a viewing of a sentencing, and pedagogical lessons from an experienced teacher. In addition to the discussions with experts on these topics, the teachers also visited the Legacy Museum led by the Equal Justice Initiative.
Jarrett Maye, a teacher at LeFlore High School in Mobile, Alabama said, “When I found out that Judge Johnson was not just pivotal to the cases but his history and backstory really pushed him into why he decided the cases the way [he did], that opened up a door.”
Judge Watkins, a member of the Johnson Institute board, helped to plan the conference based on his experience observing the Montana Judicial Institute for teachers hosted by the District of Montana in Missoula.
The Johnson Institute will host the Scholars conferences again later this summer on July 11th-13th for middle and high school teachers. Teachers interested in attending and others interested in the Johnson Institute’s work can stay up to date by signing up for email updates here.
For those interested in applying for involvement in the Summer Scholars Program sign up here.