To view programs in a district, please scroll to the district and click.
How to Participate: Contact Us for more information
| Participants | Program | Description of Event |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese Supreme Court | Informational Visit | Each year, the Court hosts a judge from Japan who visits the Atlanta area for approximately one year to learn more about the American legal system. The Court arranges for the judge to observe proceedings, review public case filings, and speak to Court staff. |
| court administrators from Japan | Curated Informational Visit | Each year the Court hosts a group of court administrators from Japan. They meet with clerk’s office staff throughout the day to learn about administration of a federal court, and they enjoy an informational lunch with judges and staff. |
| grade school students | Educational Tours | Students visit the courthouse as part of class and other group tours. They observe criminal court proceedings which may include initial appearances, arraignments, bond hearings, or sentencing hearings. A judge or the clerk of court will answer the students' questions about the process and the court's role. |
| grade school students | Constitution and Bill of Rights Event | Local fifth grade students visit the court as part of their academic studies unit on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. About forty children visit for four hours, and observe initial appearances, arraignments, and bond hearings in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand who also fields questions about the federal criminal process and court's role. |
| law school students | Internship Program | Judges in the district host interns in a program that takes place throughout the year. Students observe court proceedings and work with judges and law clerks on written assignments. They are exposed to a wide variety of proceedings in the district court. Summer interns also enjoy a lecture and networking series spearheaded by Magistrate Judge Catherine Salinas. |
| law school students, attorneys, and judges | Clarke-Carley Inn of Court | Senior District Judge Steve C. Jones is the past president of the Clarke-Carley Inn of Court and hosts courthouse meeting. |
| law school and high school students | Emory University School of Law Visit | At least once a year, Emory University School of Law Professor Paul Koster brings a group of high school and/or law school students to visit the Atlanta courthouse. The students hear from the clerk of court and then participate in a question-and-answer session with district and magistrate judges before observing live proceedings. |
| law school students | Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques | Emory Law School students participated in this program which teaches trial advocacy. The program integrates second-year students' knowledge of substantive evidence law with practical skills. |
| law school students | National Black Law Students Moot Court Competition | The National Black Law Students Moot Court Competition is an annual inter-law school event designed to promote appellate advocacy. It is held in conjunction with the National Black Law Students Association Annual Convention. The court hosted a day of the competition. |
| law school students | AIPLA Moot Court Competition | Each year, the Court hosts this inter-law school competition sponsored by The American Intellectual Property Law Association. It takes place over two days and brings together judges, lawyers, and law students for an educational competition. |
| law school students | National Black Law Student Association Mock Trial Competition | The Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition Competition encourages students to develop courtroom presence, oral advocacy skills, and legal research skills, while participating in the various phases of a mock trial. The regional competition was held in the courthouse. |
| law school students | Hispanic National Bar Association 30th Annual Moot Court Competition | The Uvaldo Herrera National Moot Court Competition took place as part of the Corporate Counsel Conference. Advancement rounds for this competition were held at the courthouse. Judge Steven Grimberg judged the final round with Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin, Georgia Supreme Court Justice Charlie Bethel, and DeKalb State Court Judge Ana Maria Martinez. |
| law school students | Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition | The court hosts the competition each year. It introduces law students to important issues arising in U.S. trademark and unfair competition law. Students develop their brief writing and oral advocacy skills in a mock courtroom experience. |
| law school students, professors, attorneys, and judges | The Honorable Charles A. Pannell, Jr., Intellectual Property Inn of Court | Retired U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr., hosts this event at the courthouse each year. The Inn meets approximately once per month to "break bread" and hold programs and discussions on matters of ethics, skills, and professionalism relevant to intellectual property attorneys. The courthouse meeting will take place in April this year. |
| high school students | State Bar of Georgia Summer Intern Program | Each year the Court hosts two high school interns. One works in a judge’s chambers, and one works in the clerk’s office. The students have opportunities to observe court proceedings and to meet with judges and staff. |
| law school students, attorneys, and judges | National Trial Competition | The Court hosted the National Trial Competition Southeastern Regionals. The event brought judges, lawyers, and law students together for an educational competition. |
| law school students, attorneys, and judges | Intrastate Moot Court Competition | The Court hosted the Intrastate Moot Court Competition. The event brought judges, lawyers, and law students together for an educational competition. |
| new citizens and their families, judges, and members of the civics outreach groups | Naturalization Ceremonies | Each year, the Court hosts approximately 11 naturalization ceremonies. New U.S. citizens have an opportunity to hear about citizenship from a federal judge and a keynote speaker, who frequently is a naturalized citizen. Members of civic outreach groups are present to provide information to the citizens and help them register to vote. |
| middle school, high school, and college students | Federal Magistrate Judges Association meeting | Magistrate Judges Regina Cannon and John Rains, of the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, participated in the Milwaukee Citizenship & Civics Student Summit as part of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association meeting there. Sixty middle school, high school, and university students were welcomed for a day of exploring immigration history, the Constitution, civic engagement, and the judicial system. Students had the unique opportunity to hear from 30 federal judges during an inspiring panel discussion, participate in hands-on civics activities, and tour the We the People: Milwaukee Stories of Immigration, Citizenship, and Community exhibit. The day concluded with one of the most meaningful moments imaginable – an official Naturalization Ceremony, where 50 new Americans took the Oath of Allegiance and officially became United States citizens. It was an unforgettable reminder that, as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, its story continues to be written by those who choose to call America home. |
How to Participate: Contact Us for more information
| Participants | Program | Description of Event |
|---|---|---|
| elementary school students | Open Doors Program | Students tour a courtroom, chambers, and other areas of the courthouse. |
| law school students | Interns Program | Judges throughout the district host interns during the academic year and summers where they gain experience in legal research and writing, and observe judicial proceedings. |
| elementary school students | Civics Mock Trial | Students from Columbus visit the Columbus courthouse where they participate in a mock trial involving the crimes allegedly committed by Goldilocks. They then return a verdict. |
| elementary school students | Roberts Academy | Students from Roberts Academy visit the Macon courthouse where they participate in a Spongebob Squarepants jury selection. Students also see an equipment demonstration from the U.S. Marshal Service. |
| law school students and attorneys | Bootle Inn of Court | The court hosts a pupilage group from the Bootle Inn of Court. The Clerk of Court provides a presentation on the history of the Middle District. |
| law students | Mercer 1L Orientation | The court hosts incoming law students from Mercer University to speak to them about the federal court and encourage their participation throughout their tenure as students. |
| high school students | AP Government | The court hosts students who will hear about the history of the court, basic principles of the legal system, and the functions of various Department of Justice agencies. |
How to Participate: Contact Us for more information
| Participants | Program | Description of Event |
|---|---|---|
| kindergarten through high school students | Federal Bar Association Civics Committee | The Southern District of Georgia Chapter of the Federal Bar Association has a Civics Education Committee which, along with the court, hosts programs for young students. Presentations include an interactive lecture with presentations from federal magistrate judges and local federal practitioners. |
| kindergarten through high school students | Constitution Week | Court staff along with representatives from the local U.S. Attorney's Office, organize in-classroom presentations. The attorneys teach modules on civics education. The presentations are done in September as U.S. Constitution and Citizenship Day is September 17th. |
| all ages | Naturalization Ceremonies | The court holds naturalization ceremonies in all divisions. A local middle school choir attends and performs at naturalization ceremonies conducted in Brunswick. |
| middle school students | Job Shadowing Day | The Augusta Division of the Bankruptcy Court's Judge Susan D. Barrett and Clerk of Court Dana Wilson will be hosting several students for the school's Job Shadowing Day in March. The students will get a tour, meet and speak with members of the court's staff, and learn about career opportunities in the Federal Judiciary. |