By Caroline Harris
Hi there, we are The Judge Frank Johnson Institute. We exist as a non-partisan voice that shares the stories of our Constitution and our Judiciary through programs that illuminate issues and perspectives, foster thoughtful and civil discourse, and inspire our national community in our nation’s never-ending pursuit of a more perfect union.
We’ve been around since 2019, growing and learning on how to best live out our mission. Over the past four years we’ve had the pleasure of hosting over 2,300 visitors at the Frank Johnson, Jr. Federal Building in Montgomery, Alabama. Visitors have ranged from professional groups to students of all ages.
Each visit was unique and presented an opportunity to learn how best to foster constitutional education through history. We’ve honed our visits to three main areas of interest:
1). Civics: The U.S. Constitution and the Judiciary
2). History: Civil Rights Cases decided in America’s Courtroom
3). History: Sharing the legacy of Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr.
One of our flagship programs is the Johnson Institute Scholars Conference, a three-day convening at the Frank Johnson Courthouse for middle and high school civics and social studies educators. Summer 2023 was our second in-person conference. The conference offers sessions taught by federal judges highlighting the judicial system, anatomy of criminal and civil cases, and historical significance of cases decided in “America’s Courtroom.”
America’s Courtroom in the Frank Johnson Courthouse
A significant take-away from this year’s 2023 Scholars Class was the opportunity to share how The Johnson Institute can help educators meet specific social studies standards.
In the following months, we will be writing a blog series titled Standards in the Courtroom. We will highlight specific standards across grade levels, how students can experience the U.S. Constitution and Judiciary in action and learn about historic civil rights cases by sitting in the courtroom where some of these landmark cases were decided.
Already interested in scheduling a visit? Click here to contact our team!