2026 Summer Institute to explore judicial independence

Each summer, The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department hosts a four-day professional development training at no cost to educators specializing in American history, government, and civics.

The 2026 Summer Institute, “Guardians of the Constitution: courts and independence at 250 years” will be July 26-29 at The Missouri Bar in Jefferson City. Meals and lodging are provided. Featured speakers will include a former Supreme Court of Missouri chief justice, a Missouri Court of Appeals judge, and a judge for the U.S. District Court-Western District of Missouri.

The program will explore judicial independence and how it was essential to the Declaration of Independence. It will also examine the role the courts played in the Framers’ design of the Constitution and the courts’ relationship with public opinion and other branches of government.

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, Patricia Breckenridge; and Hon. Rebeca Navarro-McKelvey of the Missouri Court of Appeals-Eastern District will discuss Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan, which has become a model for the nation adopted by more than 30 other states.

Participants will also explore the recent court case Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine v. Choi involving the University of Missouri’s efforts to ban a pro-Palestinian group from the homecoming parade. The action was ruled unconstitutional by Hon. Stephen Bough of the U.S. District Court-Western District of Missouri.

Bough will join the institute to discuss the case and judicial decision-making. He is excited to provide teachers with real-world examples to challenge their students.

“Giving teachers the tools to apply the Constitution to contemporary issues will ensure another generation is equipped to keep this great experiment with democracy alive,” Bough said.

View materials and lessons from previous sessions.

The Missouri Bar offers a variety of resources for teachers, including lesson plans and professional development information. View the full list of resources here.