Request lawyers and judges present to your class for Constitution Day 

This September, The Missouri Bar is connecting lawyers and schools for special Constitution Day presentations. Students will have the unique opportunity to learn about the U.S. Constitution from those whose profession revolves around upholding the principles and rights outlined in the document. 

Topics will range from the Bill of Rights, checks and balances, separation of powers, and civil rights issues.  

If you are interested in having a local lawyer or judge present to your class in September, complete the sign-up form. 

Free American government lesson plans

The Missouri Bar offers more than 50 lesson plans at no cost to teachers. Created by Missouri educators, these lessons are designed to inspire students to think critically and creatively. 

The plans — organized into five units — cover the foundations of government, the U.S. Constitution, the branches of government, political participation, and civil rights and liberties. 

Lesson plans are available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/FreeMOLessonPlans. 

Civics education resources

From coloring books and a legal glossary to institutions dedicated to civic education, The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department compiled a list of trusted resources to help teachers create thoughtful, engaging lessons. These materials are used by educators across Missouri to inspire students to learn more about civics. 

Click here to view the full list of resources.  

The bar’s Summer Institute is unique from other professional development programs because it’s an opportunity for educators to connect with and learn from prominent professionals in the legal field. This year, participants heard from Hon. Patricia Breckenridge, a retired Supreme Court of Missouri judge; Hon. Rebeca Navarro-McKelvey, with the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District; and Hon. Stephen Bough, with the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri.  

“Typically, you just don’t get the time to be able to walk around and discuss those kinds of questions and topics with the professionals and the experts like you want,” said Matthew Heidger, of Eugene High School. 

The program helps teachers expand their knowledge of American government and provides teachers with materials they can use in their classroom. 

“It [Summer Institute] really allows me to expand and grow my knowledge on what government is and be able to articulate that to the kids ...” Heidger said. 

Waynesville High School teacher Eric Thornburg appreciates that the materials and lessons are ready for the classroom. 

“These are the sort of resources I wish I knew about when I was younger ...” Thornburg said. “I would have jumped on these opportunities. I would have been a better teacher earlier on.”   

Carrie Guenzler-Heaney, of Lafayette High School, said her favorite part of the program was getting to study a federal court case and then discuss the case with the judge who ruled on it. She also found the materials extremely helpful.  

Attendees said they found the four-day experience to be rewarding and fulfilling. It helped them to build confidence and feel equipped for the upcoming school year. 

 “There's more to learn [and] there’s more confidence to build for yourself, and then you can transfer [that] to your students,” Guenzler-Heaney said. 

Stay informed about upcoming educational training and access valuable teacher resources offered by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/CivicEd.  

View photos from Summer Institute here. 

Lawyers interested in helping with civic education and teacher outreach should contact The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department at CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org. 

The Education Outreach Network 

The Education Outreach Network was created to help inform the public about judicial retention elections and The Missouri Plan by matching volunteer lawyers with interested community groups. Members of the network are provided with the tools and resources needed for successful and informative presentations. By helping Missourians understand the benefits of merit selection and the retention process, you can help preserve confidence in the courts and the rule of law. 

How it works: 

Lawyers interested in joining the Education Outreach Network may visit MoBar.org/EducationOutreach. Here you can select whether you already have a group to present to or if you need to be matched with one. Examples of groups include community groups, local college classes, or religious organizations. 

You will also complete a survey to provide your contact information and the information of the group you wish to present to, or information to help connect with you with a group.  

Once you complete the survey, you will be able to access the presentation tool kit, which includes: 

• A 45-minute PowerPoint presentation that informs attendees about the history of The Missouri Plan, compares it to other systems, and examines the value of non-partisan judicial selection and retention.
• A shortened 15-minute PowerPoint presentation that walks through the plan’s functions and examines its benefits.
• An example video presentation by Dr. Anthony Simones, director of Citizenship Education at The Missouri Bar.
• An example video presentation with presentation tips by Simones.
• Handouts to provide attendees with additional information. 

After the presentation, the presenter will be asked to complete a survey and collect surveys from attendees.  

Interested in joining the Education Outreach Network? Click here to get started today! 

But once he arrived at the competition, it all came back.

“Actually getting in there in front of the judges, it was a great experience,” Camerer said. “They really work to pull the knowledge out of you, and it kind of helped just to be in the actual setting and it just clicked. I remembered everything I learned all year, and I’ve been able to use it.”

Camerer was one of more than 80 students from eight schools across the state who came to Columbia on April 20 to participate in Show Me the Constitution, a mock congressional hearing competition where students showcase their constitutional knowledge.

Joplin High School won first place, Central High School won second place, and Kickapoo High School won third place.

View photos from this year’s Show Me the Constitution competition here.

The competition, hosted by The Missouri Bar's citizenship education department, simulates congressional committee hearings, challenging teams of students to analyze and apply constitutional principles to contemporary legal and political issues. The students then argue those complex constitutional issues before a panel of judges composed of leaders in the legal and educational fields. This year’s topics included: 

• Should stare decisis matter in the 21st century?  
• To what extent should the First Amendment's protection of free expression apply to speech on social media platforms?  
• Is federalism still relevant in our country?  

Jennifer Wells, a teacher at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, said she appreciated how the questions allow students to research a topic as deeply as they want to.

“I love that the questions give the kids the ability to really dive into the material and connect a lot of the class concepts that we’ve talked about in a real, a relevant, and contemporary way,” Wells said.

Wells also said that presenting their ideas to lawyers and judges is affirming for the students, and the experience feels more personal than a typical academic competition.

“The feedback that I always get from the kids is this is the best academic experience that they’ve ever had, because it feels, and is, very real,” Wells said.

Students from Lindbergh High School in St. Louis said they were excited and had been preparing since the fall.

Sophomore Libby Corbett-Cox said it’s been a fun way to learn more about politics and government. She’s been able to see how the Constitution is a living, breathing document, and how it applies to modern day life.

“It helps (us) better understand the law and the Constitution, and I think that’s a very fundamental part of living in the United States, is learning what rights you have, why you possess them, and how the Constitution applies to modern day,” Corbett-Cox said.

At Joplin High School, students who want to participate in Show Me the Constitution can take a class during the fall semester that helps them prepare for the spring competition. Camerer said he enjoys how interactive the class and competition are.

“That’s what I love about it, is it’s learning the Constitution and it’s learning case law and Supreme Court cases without just having to sit and be lectured in front of a board,” Camerer said.

Joplin senior Carly Dunn said she enjoyed interacting directly with the subject and that she gained a deeper love for government and laws by preparing for and competing in the competition. Dunn said she was nervous and excited to talk about the subject she loves with others who are passionate about it as well.

Show Me the Constitution is the best civics program he knows of that students can participate in, said William Keczkemethy, who coaches the Joplin team. It helps students go beyond learning from a textbook, conduct independent research, discuss varying opinions in a civil manner, and work together as a team, he added.

Lindbergh High School sophomore Nevaeh Brannum said the sense of community has been impactful.

“I think we have a very good sense of community with all of us, and we all communicate with each other very well and get along very well,” Brannum said. “Specifically with this group, I’ve loved working with them.”

Russ Sackreiter, a former teacher and a curriculum writer, has been involved in the Show Me the Constitution competition since it began about ten years ago. He said it was difficult to adequately describe all the positive ways he’s seen the competition impact students.

When he talks to a student in college who previously participated in Show Me the Constitution, they say the skills they learned in preparing for questions helped them in college more than anything else, he said. It teaches them how to research, look at issues objectively, and more.

Commissioner William Gust, of St. Louis County, said it is easy for he and other judges who work with these legal issues daily to know the cases and information, but it was impressive to see students digest, understand, and relay the same knowledge and principles.

“I think it’s been amazing to see how much preparation went into this from the teams and the amount of knowledge,” Gust said.

The competition would not be possible without the lawyers and educators who volunteer their time to judge the competition. They play a major part in helping The Missouri Bar further its goal of ensuring all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education.  

The Missouri Bar citizenship education department hosts numerous events throughout the year and provides resources that can be implemented in the classroom. View dozens of resources at MissouriLawyersHelp.org.

Nominate an exemplary educator or individual for The Missouri Bar’s E.A. Richter Award or Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award.  

E.A. Richter Award 

The E. A. Richter Award recognizes remarkable contributions by Missouri teachers, administrators, and schools to citizenship education efforts in the state. Past winners include secondary and elementary teachers; college professors; and school civics, citizenship, government, and law programs.  

The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education established the award in honor of E.A. “Wally” Richter, long-time Missouri Bar law-related education department director.  

Click here to nominate a teacher, group of teachers, administrator, or school for the E.A. Richter Award.  

Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award 

The Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award honors individuals who embody civic virtue and have promoted it among Missouri teachers and students.  

The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education created this award to pay respect to Dr. Warren H. Solomon, a social studies curriculum specialist with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education who advocated for law-related education among Missouri teachers.  

Nominate a deserving individual today! 

You can read about past Missouri Bar award recipients here. To learn more about awards from The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section, click here.  

How it works  

Teams of three to five students take on the role of constitutional experts, testifying before a mock congressional committee of three judges. Each team has five minutes to present a prepared statement, followed by 10 minutes of follow-up questions from the judges. 

The judges are leaders in the academic and legal fields. In previous years, panels have included current and past Supreme Court of Missouri judges. 

For many students, defending constitutional arguments in front of such prominent figures can be intimidating. 2025 participant Ysabella Moss said she was nervous at first, but the judges made her feel comfortable, and she enjoyed the opportunity to meet them. 

“Once we started getting into the questioning, it got more comfortable…” Moss said. “It was really interesting to hear their opinions and also have them ask us our opinions.”   

This year’s topics include:  

— Should stare decisis matter in the 21st century?  

— To what extent should the First Amendment's protection of free expression apply to speech on social media platforms?  

— Is federalism still relevant in our country?  

Interested in bringing a team to next year’s Show Me the Constitution? Email CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org.   

The Missouri Bar citizenship education department hosts numerous events throughout the year and provides resources that can be implemented in the classroom. View dozens of resources at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. 

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. 

Sign up for Summer Institute today!

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.  

Street Law Professional Development Workshop

The 2026 Street Law Professional Development Workshop will be Feb. 24-25 at the Christopher S. Bond U.S. Courthouse in Jefferson City.

The event is led by the educational nonprofit Street Law in partnership with The Missouri Bar, the federal court system, and The Judicial Learning Center. It will feature prominent Missouri lawyers and judges who will discuss the rights of the accused. 

The two-day program is packed full of content to help teachers best educate their students. Participants will receive classroom-ready materials, explore current and contested issues, learn from prominent members of the legal community, and participate in skill-building activities like case studies and a moot court. 

Meals and materials will be provided, including a group dinner . Teachers traveling from outside the Jefferson City area will have lodging provided Feb. 24-25. Accepted teachers may apply for a $100 allowance to be paid to their school to help cover the costs of substitute teachers.

Those interested in attending must register by Jan. 23. As space is limited, registration does not mean you will be automatically accepted to attend. Registrants will be notified of their acceptance on Jan. 30. Click here to register. 

Summer Institute

Summer Institute is a dynamic training program for educators specializing in American history, government, and civics hosted by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department.

During the four-day program, teachers will learn about critical concepts and experience them firsthand. Working through lessons before implementing them allows educators to anticipate student reactions and fine-tune their approach for maximum impact.

The 2026 institute will be July 26-29 in Jefferson City and will explore the role of judges and the courts in our constitutional system.

Sign up today!

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.  

The competition, which will take place April 20, 2026, in Columbia, replicates congressional committee hearings, challenging teams of students to apply constitutional principles to current events. 

Hon. W. Brent Powell, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, was a judge for the 2025 competition. He encouraged all lawyers to get involved with the program. 

“It’s fantastic. If someone asks you to get involved, get involved,” Powell said. “You won’t regret it.”  

How it works 

Teams of three to five students will take on the role of experts testifying about constitutional issues before a congressional committee composed of three judges. Teams will have five minutes to read their prepared statement. At the end of the presentation, judges will have 10 minutes to ask follow-up questions. 

This year’s topics include: 

— Should stare decisis matter in the 21st century?  

— To what extent should the First Amendment's protection of free expression apply to speech on social media platforms?  

— Is federalism still relevant in our country? 

If you are interested in volunteering for Show Me the Constitution, contact CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org.  

The presentation provided the opportunity for about 350 students in the junior government class to learn about the rule of law, impartiality in the legal system, and the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan.

“They’re going to become voters soon," Robbins told the Daily American Republic. "When they’re given the opportunity to vote for their judge on the county level, or to vote to retain judges on the court of appeals or on the Supreme Court of Missouri, we want them to have the information on why that’s important.”

Breckenridge and Robbins explained how the Non-Partisan Court Plan provides a more fair and transparent process, as it attracts high-quality judges in the least political way and ultimately gives the people the final say.

They also explained the importance of the rule of law. The courts uphold the rule of law and protect the rights, liberty, and safety of the people of Missouri, acting as a safeguard and giving citizens a voice.

This year Missouri lawyers and judges presented to more than 2,000 students for Constitution Day. Each year, The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section partners with the bar’s citizenship education department to connect these lawyers and judges with students.

Learn more about this year’s Constitution Day presentations and sign up to present to a class in 2026 here.

Many teachers expressed their appreciation for the program and its effect on their students, including Veronica King of Hogan Preparatory Academy in Kansas City. 

“Hogan Preparatory Academy was lucky to receive three amazing presenters,” King said.  “The scholars at HPA worked hard in preparation for the attorneys' and judge's visit and were excited to ask them questions about their rights, the U.S. government, and the Constitution. Some scholars were inspired and now see the possibility of pursuing a career in law. It was an amazing experience and opportunity!” 

Danielle Atchison, a member of the YLS Civic Education and Outreach Committee, said she is proud of the work the committee has done this year by connecting more than 60 schools with lawyers and judges.  

“I am amazed at the work [YLS] Council members have done to make sure we bring the bench and bar to all Missouri teachers and students who want to hear from us,” Atchison said. “I know for sure it is making a difference, as I heard from one teacher that the program is ‘changing lives.’” 

If you’re interested in having a lawyer present to your class in 2026, sign up here. 

If you are a lawyer, you can sign up here to present to classes in 2026.  

Click here to learn more about how The Missouri Bar ensures all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education.  

Focus on what is important 

It is easy to forget just how bad things were in our first years as a country. It is tempting to think of the glorious victory we had won against the British, to focus on those who led our country, and to assume that all was well. It was not.  

Our initial attempt to govern ourselves gave almost all power to the states, created a weak Congress, and omitted a presidency and federal courts. This resulted in economic catastrophe, intense confrontations between the monied and working classes, and a breakdown of the rule of law. 

The Constitution was an attempt to address these problems and to hold our nation together. It is viewed as a success in large part because the framers of the Constitution focused on the problems that threatened to destroy this country. They did not lose sight of what was important. We would do well to emulate the Framers’ desire to address problems.  

Resolve conflict with compromise 

Take a look at any American Government textbook and in the initial sections you will discover compromise after compromise at the Constitutional Convention.  

This is not to suggest that compromise brought about perfection. It did not. It did, however, help the Constitutional Convention move forward. These compromises held our nation together and kept us moving forward so that someday these issues could be addressed in a more satisfactory and complete manner.  

The framers were individuals of strong beliefs and intense commitment to those beliefs. However, they recognized that unyielding adherence to those ideals could be personally rewarding but detrimental to a nation that desperately needed compromise to continue to exist.  

Understand the corrupting influence of power 

The framers saw the consequences of placing too much power in a single source. The abuse of power demonstrated by King George not only led to revolution, but it also taught them that placing unchecked power in the hands of a single person was dangerous.  

Similarly, the first system of government in the United States, the Articles of Confederation, gave almost all power to the states. When the states exercised that power in a manner that focused on their own needs, with no consideration for the interests of other states and no regard for the nation, the country stood on the brink of tearing itself apart. 

The framers sought to prevent the consequences of concentrating power in the hands of a few by creating a system of separation of powers with each branch of government checking, and being checked by, the other branches of government. 

The framers were hardly perfect. As we have seen, they were capable of mistakes and failed to fully address issues. They sometimes provided answers to questions that produced even more problems. But they did not give up. They did not walk away from challenges. They did not avoid a problem because they disagreed with people on the other side of the aisle. They did not place short-term advantage over long-term principle. They never gave up on moving forward as a country.  

These lessons from the framers of the Constitution can help us to continue moving forward as a nation. 

To learn about The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education work and resources for teachers, visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org/Educational-Resources. 

This article was originally published Sept. 17, 2024. 

The Missouri Bar civics education department offers a wide variety of resources to help teachers educate students about government and Missouri law. Below are some of the top teacher resources available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/Educational-Resources.  

Request lawyers and judges present to your class for Constitution Day in September 

On Sept. 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution. This document has become the basis for our government and way of life.  

This September, The Missouri Bar is connecting lawyers and schools for a special Constitution Day presentation. Students will have the unique opportunity to learn about the U.S. Constitution from those whose profession revolves around upholding the principles and rights outlined in the document. 

Topics will range from the Bill of Rights, checks and balances, separation of powers, and civil rights issues.  

If you are interested in having a local lawyer or judge present to your class in September, complete the sign-up form. 

Free American Government lesson plans  

The Missouri Bar offers more than 50 lesson plans at no cost to teachers. Created by Missouri educators, these lessons are designed to inspire students to think critically and creatively. 

The plans — organized into six units — cover the foundations of government, the U.S. Constitution, the branches of government, political participation, and civil rights and liberties. 

Lesson plans are available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/FreeMOLessonPlans. 

Civics education resources  

The Missouri Bar civics education department compiled a list of trusted resources to help teachers create thoughtful, engaging lessons. These materials are used by educators across Missouri to inspire students to learn more about civics. 

Resources include:  

• Bill of Rights Institute  
• Teach Democracy (formerly Constitutional Rights Foundation)
• Coloring books from The Missouri Bar
• Cornell Legal Information Institute  

Click here to view the full list of resources.  

Each year, The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education department hosts a dynamic training program for educators specializing in American history, government, and civics. This year's Summer Institute, held July 21-23, explored free expression in the 21st century, specifically social media and how it relates to the Constitution.  

Thirty-four teachers from across the state attended the program, allowing them to connect with and learn from lawyers who work with the laws and topics they’re exploring. 

“I think it’s really cool to be able to talk with them …” said first-time attendee Matthew Heidger, of Eugene High School. “Getting to hear how it [the law] is used in everyday practices or how they apply it to their lives is great to hear. And it's fun to be able to take that information to relay back to the kids.” 

Heidger also praised the lawyers and presenters for communicating the information in a way that they could understand. 

“Continuously teaching and articulating the information in different ways is great for us to pick up on and learn and be able to teach our students,” Heidger said. 

Koki Sabatés, a member of the 2024-2025 Missouri Bar Leadership Academy class, helped with the institute and participated in a panel discussing the real-world dimensions of social media. For her, the best part was seeing the teachers’ dedication to learning complicated information and taking that back to their students. 

“There are folks way smarter than me that spend their entire lives dedicated to researching and understanding [these topics],” Sabatés said. “So, the fact that [the teachers] were here, learning these things, taking all this information and digesting it was incredible and extremely impressive and just shows a lot of dedication.” 

She views this opportunity as a way to give back to the community and encourages other lawyers to do the same. 

Lawyers interested in helping with civics education and teacher outreach should contact The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education department at CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org. 

Stay informed about upcoming educational training and access valuable teacher resources offered by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education program at MissouriLawyersHelp.org.  

View more photos from the three-day event here. 

During the competition, teams of students take on the role of experts testifying about constitutional issues before a congressional committee, composed of three judges. The format brings constitutional principles to life while developing critical thinking and civil debate skills.  

William Keczkemethy, coach of the Joplin High School team which finished in first place at the 2025 competition, praised the program for bringing civic education to life for his students. 

“It is student-led, research-based, and allows for an element of competition. Students work cooperatively to engage with principles of our democracy and issues of current public policy through thoughtful research, discussion, and writing,” Keczkemethy said. “I encourage educators to get involved; SMTC is the most powerful program in the state of Missouri for developing informed, active citizens.” 

Central High School teacher Joel Slingerland, described it as “the ultimate academic challenge for students.” 

“The questions are complex and capture some of the major challenges our Constitution faces in an ever-changing world …” Slingerland said.  “There is nothing else quite like it in the realm of civics education.” 

Seneca High School teacher Crystal Charles echoed that sentiment, stating the competition is “the very definition of an authentic assessment.” 

“Students come away with not only a deeper understanding of the Constitution and foundational documents, but also the experience of participating in civil discourse — an essential skill needed today,” Charles said. 

Jennifer Wells, of Kickapoo High School in Springfield, appreciates that the competition allows her students to engage with constitutional principles in ways other than memorization or classroom activities.  

“Our style of government requires each succeeding generation to ‘take on’ democratic values and hold fast to our constitutional principles …” Wells said. “Show Me the Constitution creates that space for students — the competition is as open to you as you are to it.” 

Interested in bringing a team to next year’s Show Me the Constitution? Email CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org.  

View photos from this year’s Show Me the Constitution competition here.  

The Missouri Bar citizenship education department hosts numerous events throughout the year and provides resources that can be implemented in the classroom. View dozens of resources at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. 

The students were given the unique opportunity to argue complex constitutional issues before a panel of judges composed of leaders in the legal and educational fields. Joplin High School took first place, Central High School took second place, and Kickapoo High School finished in third place. 

The competition, hosted by The Missouri Bar's citizenship education department, simulates congressional committee hearings, challenging teams of students to analyze and apply constitutional principles to contemporary legal and political issues. This year’s topics included: 

- presidential immunity; 

- the overturning of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.; and 

- proposed constitutional changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Central High School senior Ben Ondetti has competed three times. For him, it’s an opportunity to learn about things he otherwise wouldn’t research. He expressed his fondness for the program and its importance in society. 

“I think [the competition] is extremely important to keep around for future generations…” Ondetti said. “I think that it’s super important for maintaining education, especially a higher and deeper level of rigor that is extremely important nowadays.”  

Hon. W. Brent Powell of the Supreme Court of Missouri said he is inspired by the students who compete each year and their excitement for constitutional issues. He encourages all the students he interacts with to consider law. He also encourages lawyers to get involved with the program and serve in any way they can. 

“It’s fantastic. If someone asks you to get involved, get involved.” Powell said. “You won’t regret it.” 

It can be nerve-wracking for students to argue constitutional topics in front of prominent members of the legal community. Seneca High School senior Ysabella Moss said she was nervous at first, but the judges made her feel comfortable, and she enjoyed the opportunity to meet them. 

“Once we started getting into the questioning, it got more comfortable…” Moss said. “It was really interesting to hear their opinions and also have them ask us our opinions.”  

Her classmate Evelyn Ritter echoed the statement and added that the competition has helped them become informed citizens, especially after voting in their first election. 

“We’re high school kids so logically, we don’t really look at these issues on an everyday basis,” Ritter said. “But this event has given us the opportunity to look at these things and look at our Constitution and how these different things affect us, or could affect us in the future.” 

The competition would not be possible without the lawyers and educators who volunteer their time to judge the competition. They play a major part in helping The Missouri Bar further its goal of ensuring all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education.  

View photos from this year’s Show Me the Constitution competition here. 

The Missouri Bar citizenship education department hosts numerous events throughout the year and provides resources that can be implemented in the classroom. View dozens of resources at MissouriLawyersHelp.org.

The workshop focused on the rule of law and fair and effective courts. Participants considered U.S. Supreme Court cases Torres v. Madrid and Barnes v. Felix. They participated in activities they can use in their classrooms and received a variety of lesson plans and materials to take back to their schools.

“Street Law presents such an extraordinary array of tools for teachers — materials they can use in their classes, interaction with professionals from the bench and bar, and an experience in a moot court simulation,” said Dr. Anthony Simones, citizenship education director with The Missouri Bar. “

The teachers also heard from leaders in the legal community, including Hon. John M. Bodenhausen, U.S. magistrate; Hon. Stephen R. Clark, chief U.S. district judge; Hon. Matthew T. Schelp, U.S. district judge; Sayler Fleming, U.S. attorney; Mohammed Ahmed, assistant federal public defender with the Eastern District of Missouri; Hon. Rebeca Navarro-McKelvey of the Missouri Court of Appeals-Eastern District; Cira Duffe with Hartmann, Duffe & Pegram; and Joe Goff of Armstrong Teasdale.

On the second day of the workshop, teachers had lunch with current and former clerks of the U.S. Eastern District of Missouri and the 8th Judicial Circuit to learn about their roles and experiences in the judicial system.

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

Simones’ main duties involve developing trainings, workshops, and a summer institute for educators to use in their classrooms.

Recognizing that not all teachers have the time or budget to devote to developing these teaching methods, Simones has worked with educators to develop free American Government lesson plans, available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/freemolessonplans.

He also works with various judges and lawyers, creating presentations they can use when talking with students or the general public.

He’s passionate about the Constitution because it gives rise to important and fascinating issues and debates, Simones said. Helping others better understand constitutional principles prepares the next generation of leaders and citizens.

“It just raises so many essential issues for our country, and what kind of country we’re going to be, what our priorities are going to be,” Simones said. “…It’s important and it’s relevant to our lives.”

Simones tries to instill this message through the Show Me the Constitution competition, a mock congressional hearing where students argue constitutional issues before various lawyers, judges, and teachers in the state. The goal is to help students think critically and creatively about the Constitution, he said.

His love for the Constitution goes far back.

Simones described himself as someone who carved his own path in life.

“Every step of the way has been me charting my own course and not caring where everybody else was expected to go,” Simones said.

When he got to college, he didn’t take the traditional pre-law route, instead majoring in communications and English. In law school, as everyone else fell in love with the law, he fell in love with teaching.  

After he graduated from law school, a few faculty members from the political science department at his university decided to have him to teach some government courses and recommended he join the PhD program, while giving him a stipend and waiving tuition fees. Those three faculty members changed his life that day, Simones said.

“And that’s why, ever since then, every chance I get to help somebody else out, to advance somebody else’s career, to help them to realize their dream, I take it,” Simones said. “And that’s really important to me because of the gift that was given to me …”

After earning his PhD, he started teaching at what is now Missouri State University. His distinctive teaching method, focusing on questions and discussions, encouraged students to think for themselves. It was so different from a traditional lecture that students who weren’t enrolled in his classes would watch from the doorway.

He found success at MSU, winning the governor’s award for teaching excellence. He was nominated twice for the Carnegie Foundation professor of the year award, was promoted, and got tenure.

He next started working at a school in Georgia developing a criminal justice program, then as the director of judicial education for the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator. It was there he made a connection with the former director of citizen education at the bar.

While there was never a point in his life where he said he wanted to be the director of citizenship education for a bar, Simones said, “I was perfect for the job, and the job was perfect for me.”

Simones now gets to use his experiences teaching the Constitution and government to help teachers across the state do the same in their classrooms. He takes the same methods that brought people in to watch his classes from the hallways and turns them into lessons high school and middle school teachers can use.

Overall, Simones said that his favorite part of his job was how much variety it has.

“If you do the same thing over and over again, even if it is something really cool, it’s going to lose its luster at some point,” Simones said. “But I am always doing something new, there’s always something new coming up.”

Outside of work, Simones said he enjoys working out on the rowing machine and elliptical machine, having a big stack of books and taking an afternoon to go through them, read, think, write, and consider the world. He also enjoys movies and has a movie quote for every situation.

The E. A. Richter Award recognizes remarkable contributions by Missouri teachers, administrators, and schools to citizenship education efforts in the state. Past winners include secondary and elementary teachers; college professors; and school civics, citizenship, government, and law programs. The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education established the award in honor of E.A. “Wally” Richter, long-time Missouri Bar law-related education department director. 

Click here to nominate a teacher, group of teachers, administrator, or school for the E.A. Richter Award. Nominations are due May 1. 

The Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award honors individuals who embody civic virtue and have promoted it among Missouri teachers and students. The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education created this award to pay respect to Dr. Warren H. Solomon, a social studies curriculum specialist with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education who advocated for law-related education among Missouri teachers. 

Click here to nominate someone for the Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award. Nominations are due May 1. 

You can read about past Missouri Bar award recipients here. To learn more about awards from The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section, click here. 

The workshop is led by Street Law in partnership with The Missouri Bar, the federal court system, and The Judicial Learning Center. The program will feature prominent Missouri lawyers and judges who will discuss the importance of the rule of law and fair and effective Courts.  

The two-day program is packed full of content to help you best educate your students. Participants will receive classroom-ready materials, explore current and contested issues, learn from prominent members of the legal community, and participate in skill building strategies like case studies and a moot court.  

Meals and materials will be provided, including a group dinner on Wednesday. Teachers traveling from outside the St. Louis area will have lodging provided March 5-6. Accepted teachers are eligible to apply for a $100 allowance to be paid to their school to help cover the costs of substitute teachers. 

Those interested in attending must register by Feb. 7. As space is limited, registration does not mean you will be automatically accepted to attend. Registrants will be notified of their acceptance on Feb. 11. Click here to register.  

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Tony Simones, Missouri Bar citizenship education director or Rachel Marshall with the U.S. Courts system. 

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

The Missouri Bar civics education department offers a wide variety of resources to help teachers educate their students on government and Missouri law. Below are the top teacher resources available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/Educational-Resources to help you in your classroom. 

Free American Government lesson plans 

The Missouri Bar offers over 50 lesson plans at no cost to teachers. The lessons, which span six units, were created by Missouri teachers to inspire students to think critically and creatively. Lesson plans can be found at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/FreeMOLessonPlans and cover the foundations of government, the United States Constitution, the branches of government, political participation, and civil rights and liberties.  

Show Me the Constitution 

The Missouri Bar’s Show Me the Constitution competition offers high school students across the state the opportunity to gain firsthand experience with civic discourse and today’s complex constitutional questions. 

During the competition, teams of students take on the role of experts testifying about constitutional issues before a congressional committee, composed of three judges. The format brings constitutional principles to life while developing critical thinking and civil debate skills. 

The 2025 Show Me the Constitution competition will be held April 7 in Columbia. Click here to learn more about the program and view this year’s questions. 

Summer Institute 

Summer Institute is a dynamic training program for educators specializing in American history, government, and civics hosted by The Missouri Bar citizenship education department. 

During the three-day program, teachers learn about critical concepts and experience them firsthand. Working through lessons before implementing them allows educators to anticipate student reactions and fine-tune their approach for maximum impact. 

The 2025 session will be held July 21-23 in Jefferson City and cover social media and the Constitution. 

View materials and lessons from previous sessions.

Contact CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org for more information. 

Civics Education Resources  

The Civics Education department has compiled a list of resources to help you better educate your students. These resources are used by teachers across the state to help with creating thoughtful and engaging lessons to inspire their students about civics.  

Resources include:  

• Bill of Rights Institute  
• Constitutional Rights Foundation  
• Coloring books from The Missouri Bar  
• Cornell Legal Information Institute  

Click here to view the full list of resources.  

The competition, which will take place April 7, 2025, in Columbia, replicates congressional committee hearings, challenging teams of students to apply constitutional principles to current events. This year’s competition features questions about presidential immunity, the overturning of Chevron, and constitutional changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Danielle Atchison is an alumnus of the program and has been volunteering as a judge since 2014.   

“I believe my participation in high school directly affected me becoming a lawyer,” Atchison said. “I always walk away with excitement and hope knowing our next generation of students are gaining invaluable skills to be a part of their own government.”  

Russ Sackreiter is a retired teacher whose students competed in the competition for many years. He now serves as a judge to continue inspiring students to increase their knowledge of the law and government. 

“After countless years as a judge for SMTC I am never disappointed, quite the contrary, I am filled with confidence that the United States in in good hands,” Sackreiter said. 

If you are interested in volunteering for Show Me the Constitution, contact CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org. 

Each year, The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section partners with the citizenship education department to send lawyers to present to students for Constitution Day. This year, more than 600 students across the state had the opportunity to learn about the U.S. Constitution from those who regularly interact with it. 

Roger Ball, an 8th-grade social studies teacher at Aurora Junior High School, praised the program's impact on his students.  

"The Constitution Day presentation was very informative for the students to learn about the judicial branch,” Ball said. “Mr. (Jeff) Goodnight (with Ozarks Legacy Law) did a wonderful job with our students that day.” 

Participating lawyers encouraged others to present next year and help inspire students about government and law. 

"Speaking to the youth of Missouri is rewarding and challenging," Goodnight said. "In today's world, more than ever, I believe that our youth need to understand their inherent rights and the value of the rule of law in our society." 

Sign up to have a lawyer present to your class in 2025. 

If you are a lawyer, sign up to present to classes in 2025. 

Click here to learn more about how The Missouri Bar ensures all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education. 

Focus on what is important 

It is easy to forget just how bad things were in our first years as a country. It is tempting to think of the glorious victory we had won against the British, to focus on those who led our country, and to assume that all was well. It was not.  

Our initial attempt to govern ourselves gave almost all power to the states, created a weak Congress, and omitted a presidency and federal courts. This resulted in economic catastrophe, intense confrontations between the monied and working classes, and a breakdown of the rule of law. 

The Constitution was an attempt to address these problems and to hold our nation together. It is viewed as a success in large part because the framers of the Constitution focused on the problems that threatened to destroy this country. They did not lose sight of what was important. We would do well to emulate the Framers’ desire to address problems.  

Resolve conflict with compromise 

Take a look at any American Government textbook and in the initial sections you will discover compromise after compromise at the Constitutional Convention.  

This is not to suggest that compromise brought about perfection. It did not. It did, however, help the Constitutional Convention move forward. These compromises held our nation together and kept us moving forward so that someday these issues could be addressed in a more satisfactory and complete manner.  

The framers were individuals of strong beliefs and intense commitment to those beliefs. However, they recognized that unyielding adherence to those ideals could be personally rewarding but detrimental to a nation that desperately needed compromise to continue to exist.  

Understand the corrupting influence of power 

The framers saw the consequences of placing too much power in a single source. The abuse of power demonstrated by King George not only led to revolution, but it also taught them that placing unchecked power in the hands of a single person was dangerous.  

Similarly, the first system of government in the United States, the Articles of Confederation, gave almost all power to the states. When the states exercised that power in a manner that focused on their own needs, with no consideration for the interests of other states and no regard for the nation, the country stood on the brink of tearing itself apart. 

The framers sought to prevent the consequences of concentrating power in the hands of a few by creating a system of separation of powers with each branch of government checking, and being checked by, the other branches of government. 

The framers were hardly perfect. As we have seen, they were capable of mistakes and failed to fully address issues. They sometimes provided answers to questions that produced even more problems. But they did not give up. They did not walk away from challenges. They did not avoid a problem because they disagreed with people on the other side of the aisle. They did not place short-term advantage over long-term principle. They never gave up on moving forward as a country.  

These lessons from the framers of the Constitution can help us to continue moving forward as a nation. 

To learn about The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education work and resources for teachers, visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org/Educational-Resources.

The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education presents the E.A. Richter Award to honors teachers, administrators, and schools that excel in fostering civic engagement within the state. The award is named after Ewald A. “Wally” Richter, former Missouri Bar director of information and director of law-related education. 

Barzowski became involved with The Missouri Bar citizenship education department through a professional development program that introduced him to a network of like-minded teachers and provided him with a wealth of resources that he wanted to share with others.  

He has been a crucial part of The Missouri Bar’s Summer Institute program serving as a mentor for other teachers.  

“Don Barzowski is one of the most dedicated, creative, caring teachers in the state,” said Dr. Tony Simones, director of citizenship education. “Where he shines the brightest is in his willingness to share his extraordinary experience and expertise with other teachers. Don doesn’t hoard his brilliance. It is that selflessness that makes him an exceptional professional. Even more, it makes him an exceptional human being.” 

Crystal Charles, who nominated Barzowski for the award, has worked with him for 17 years. 

 “He seeks the best curriculum to challenge his classes and helps develop quality professional development programs to continue bringing the best available education to his students,” Charles said.   

What drives Barzowski is the profound impact that civics education can have on students and communities. He said he finds immense satisfaction in witnessing his students' growth and involvement in civic life, from their first votes to their participation in local government and beyond.  

“I believe that without exposure to high quality civics education they [students] may have made different choices that would not have benefited our country as much as these people have,” Barzowski said. 

Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2024 award winners here.  

Atchison is a crucial part of The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education program, which aims to empower students with a strong understanding of government and the law. As a former participant in the bar’s “We the People” program she now serves as a mentor and judge for the Show Me the Constitution competition. Additionally, Atchison coordinates presentations for Constitution Day, connecting teachers with lawyers to inspire students. 

Her involvement with The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education program reflects her belief in the importance of empowering young people to become informed and engaged citizens. By volunteering her time as a speaker and mentor, Atchison inspires students to explore the legal profession and understand their role in shaping society. 

“Civic education has the power to drive the youth into understanding the government that they're working within and voting for,” Atchison said. “Even if they’re not going to be lawyers, it’s important to at least have a connection to government when they approach conversations with their peers or the voting box.” 

Lawyers that are passionate about citizenship education can get involved by signing up to present to classrooms in September for Constitution Day.

Beyond her work in civic education, Atchison is a passionate advocate for access to justice. As an immigration lawyer, she provides pro bono legal services to survivors of domestic violence.  

For more information about The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education program and events, visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org. 

Hands-on approach 

What sets the Summer Institute apart is its immersive nature. Teachers learn about critical concepts and experience them firsthand. Working through lessons before implementing them allows educators to anticipate student reactions and fine-tune their approach for maximum impact. 

For first-year teacher Hailey Youngblood, Summer Institute offered hope and clarity as she begins her career.  

“I think my biggest takeaway has been that we can find a way to get these complex ideas into the classroom,” she said. “There are ways to help students with real world content and this will help them going forward.” 

Expert insights and networking 

Participants also benefit from esteemed guest speakers like Rhett Oldman, coordinator of social studies with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Rod Chappel, president of the Missouri NAACP; Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon; and Steve Davis, a lawyer with True North LLP.  

This year’s participants also received insight into what it’s like to lobby the Missouri legislature from Missouri Bar Government Relations Director Andy Briscoe.  

These sessions spark fresh perspectives and ignite thought-provoking discussions," said Dr. Anthony Simones, director of citizenship education at The Missouri Bar. 

Seasoned educator Leslie Schneiders, a 15-year Summer Institute veteran, finds it a continuous source of inspiration.  

“I’m going on my 25th year of teaching so things can get mundane,” she said. “The materials and different viewpoints from the guest speakers are what keeps me coming back each year.” 

Investing in the future 

Leslie emphasizes the vital role attorneys play in making the institute possible. "Thank an attorney!" she urges. “This is not possible without them. Their support of teachers is huge.” 

For a glimpse into the program, view more photos from this year's event here. 

Stay informed about upcoming educational training and access valuable teacher resources offered by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education program at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. 

The program will bring together 36 Missouri teachers specializing in American history, government, and civics. 

"What we always seek to do at the Summer Institute is to take foundational constitutional concepts and examine how they function in the modern context," said Dr. Tony Simones, director of citizenship education. "We will continue that approach this year and focus on topics that matter to today’s students and tomorrow’s citizens and leaders." 

This year’s institute will delve into pressing issues like: 

- The evolving relationship between the federal government and states, with a particular focus on the recent immigration policy disputes at the Texas/Mexico border. 

- The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which alters the Court's approach to reviewing regulations from administrative agencies.  

- The role of citizens in electing leaders and shaping policies established by law and the Constitution. 

Teachers will participate in interactive activities, including a mock congressional hearing and a role-playing exercise where they advise the president on a complex issue. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate these types of interactive activities into their classrooms when discussing topics with their students. 

Summer Institute aims to equip educators with the knowledge and resources to effectively teach these evolving concepts to their students, fostering a deeper understanding of the Constitution's role in modern American society. 

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

Seven schools gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center in Columbia on April 8 to compete at Show Me the Constitution, The Missouri Bar’s annual mock congressional trial competition. The students were given the unique opportunity to argue complex constitutional issues before a panel of judges comprised of leaders in the legal and educational fields.  Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, from Kansas City, won first place at this year's competition.

“I find it incredibly invigorating to see the students interact with our governmental history, our constitution, and prior supreme court cases and apply what they’ve learned from our history to modern events,” said Joe Goff, partner at Armstrong Teasdale in St. Louis. “It makes me feel better about where we are going as a society … spending time with the students in this program reassures me of our future and how secure it is in their hands.” 

This year students tackled free speech, affirmative action, and judicial review, applying these time-tested precedents to themselves and modern society. 

“Its really neat to see them interact with older documents in application to their own lives and that gives them ownership over what they’re talking about,” said Jennifer Wells, a teacher at Kickapoo High School in Springfield. “I think it plays a vital role in the passing down of government from generation to generation.” 

Preparing for a competition like this takes an immense amount of preparation and cooperation with teammates. The students must listen to their teammates and discuss these complex issues amongst themselves before they can argue their case. Lynch applauded the students for their cooperation with one another and their willingness to learn from one another after learning that one student changed their mind on the issue because they listened to their teammate who helped them understand a new perspective. 

“The most powerful thing you can do is to listen to another person.” Lynch told the team. “You will be the leaders of society and we need you to help the others understand.” 

View photos from this year’s Show Me The Constitution competition here.

The Missouri Bar citizenship education departments hosts numerous events throughout the year and provides resources that can be implemented in the classroom. View dozens of resources at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. 

On Feb. 28 and 29, the citizenship education also department sponsored the annual Street Law Professional Development Workshop in Jefferson City, along with the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, and the Judicial Learning Center.  

The workshop focused on the First Amendment and social media. Participants considered cases Counterman v. Colorado, Mahanoy v. B.L., and O’Connor v. Garnier. They also heard from leaders in the legal field including Federal Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Judge Paul Wilson of the Supreme Court of Missouri, Joe Goff of Armstrong Teasdale, Green County Prosecutor Jacqueline Ledezma-Ruelas, Professor Haley Proctor of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, Cale Spangler of Spangler and Ward, and Lowell Pearson of Husch Blackwell.  

Here's what teachers are saying about Street Law: 

"Street Law brought professional, hands-on training to educators in Jefferson City. Their materials are relevant and high quality, their sessions are engaging, and their depth of knowledge is refreshing to teachers striving to bring quality government and civics education to students around Missouri. It was a privilege to be a part of Street Law's educational outreach," said Sarah Anibal. 

"I cannot express my gratitude to The Missouri Bar for hosting such an amazing professional development opportunity. From the guest speakers to the content and venue, everything was thought out. But most importantly, there was a passion about constitutional law that cannot be denied. I was so humbled being in a room with such like-minded people understanding that constitutional law matters to the great good of our nation. I hope that I will have the opportunity to attend again in the future," said Victor Bell. 

“This was the best professional development I've attended in a decade! It was engaging, informative, and could be taken back to the classroom for use the following day. I would recommend this to anyone who'll listen to me,” said Karen Parker. 

“Street Law provides outstanding resources designed to captivate students and foster the development of essential skills as they embark on their journey to becoming active participants in our democratic system,” said Eric Thornburg. 

Taking place Feb. 28- 29 in Jefferson City, the workshop will offer educators a unique opportunity to engage with legal experts, explore current cases, and develop classroom-ready strategies for tackling these ever-evolving issues. 

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, but how does that translate to the online world? This workshop will provide teachers with the tools and resources they need to help their students with critical thinking skills and legal understanding they need to navigate this complex and often-controversial topic. 

The workshop aligns with Missouri Learning Standards and provides educators with valuable professional development credits. Meals and materials are included, and lodging is available for participants traveling from outside Jefferson City. Additionally, accepted teachers can apply for a $100 school reimbursement to help cover substitute costs. 

Registration is open and closes Feb. 2. Acceptance notifications will be emailed by Feb. 6. Space is limited. Click here to register today. 

For more information contact Dr. Tony Simones at tsimones@mobar.org or Rachel Marshall at rachel_marshall@ca8.uscourts.gov.  

The Missouri Bar Civics Education department offers a wide variety of resources to help teachers educate their students on government and Missouri law. Below are the top teacher resources available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/Educational-Resources to help you in your classroom. 

Free American Government lesson plans 

Earlier this year, The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department partnered with Missouri teachers to create over 50 lesson plans to share with other teachers at no cost. The lesson plans are spread across six units and cover various topics related to American Government. 

The lesson plans were created to help teachers educate their students and inspire them to think critically and creatively, even when they don’t have the time or resources to develop robust lessons themselves. There are currently five units published at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/FreeMOLessonPlans that have already been helping teachers inspire their students about American Government.  

Show Me the Constitution 

The Missouri Bar’s Show Me the Constitution competition offers high school students across the state the opportunity to gain firsthand experience with civic discourse and today’s complex constitutional questions. 

During the competition, teams of students take on the role of experts testifying about constitutional issues before a congressional committee, composed of three judges. The format brings constitutional principles to life while developing critical thinking and civil debate skills. 

The 2024 Show Me the Constitution Competition will be held April 8, 2024, in Columbia. Click here to learn more about the program and view this year’s questions. 

Civics Education Resources 

The Civics Education department has compiled a list of resources to help you better educate your students. These resources are used by teachers across the state to help with creating thoughtful and engaging lessons to inspire their students about civics.  

Resources include: 

• Bill of Rights Institute 
• Constitutional Rights Foundation 
• Coloring books from The Missouri Bar 
• Cornell Legal Information Institute 

Click here to view the full list of resources.  

The Missouri Bar is dedicated to ensuring that all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education. One way this is accomplished is by equipping teachers with the tools they need to create a generation of informed citizens. 

Earlier this year, The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department partnered with Missouri teachers to create more than 50 lesson plans that inspire students to think critically and creatively about American government. The lesson plans, available at no cost, are spread across six units and available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org/FreeMOLessonPlans. 

"Someone once said that good teaching is more about asking the right questions than receiving the right answers,” one teacher said. “These lesson plans have given me quality, authentic questions to ask my students. I am asking them not to memorize, but to think. These lessons have increased my students' depth of knowledge on topics and have made all the difference in my classroom."  

If you’re passionate about teaching and have a valuable lesson plan you’d like to share with educators, contact Dr. Anthony Simones, department director, at tsimones@mobar.org.  

The competition, which will take place April 8, 2024, in Columbia, replicates congressional committee hearings, challenging teams of students to apply constitutional principles to current events. This year’s competition features questions about free speech, affirmative action, and judicial review. 

“Show Me the Constitution aligns with several of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s standards for social studies and government,” said Dr. Tony Simones, Citizenship Education director. “It allows students to develop critical thinking skills and wrestle with some of the most complex constitutional questions of our time.” 

The contest is open to all public, private, and parochial high schools in Missouri, providing each school the opportunity to bring up to three teams of three to five students.  

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three schools to support civic education initiatives. The first-place school will receive $1,000. 

At the competition, each team will have five minutes to read their prepared statement responding to each of the questions provided for the competition. At the end of the five-minute presentation, judges will have 10 minutes to ask follow-up questions and hear student answers about their stances. During the follow-ups, students must turn their printed pages over or close their electronic copies. At the end of the follow-ups, judges will provide feedback to the students. 

“Show Me the Constitution is an authentic assessment that pushes students beyond rote memorization to apply their constitutional knowledge to real-world issues,” Simones said. “It has been exciting to see this program foster passionate engagement and civil discourse for so many Missouri students over the years.” 

The registration deadline is March 1. Schools interested in participating can contact CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org for more information. 

The Constitution was not our first system of government. After we won our independence, we created a governing structure known as the Articles of Confederation. This new structure didn't last long as it was inadequate to govern the new nation. Congress, the national lawmaking body, was weak, and there wasn’t really a president, not in the sense we know it today. There was no federal judiciary and all the power resided in the states with each state acting like its own small kingdom. There was no regard for how actions would impact the well-being of the country as a whole. We were fragmented and seemingly incapable of creating policies that would benefit us as a country. One historian even described our new nation as “The Disunited States.” 

Because of this situation, the economy suffered. Many people became destitute, and businesses had no one to sell their products to. Where we once stood shoulder to shoulder and fought the British, Americans now fought their fellow citizens. Other countries watched and waited for us to fail. 

It was a cataclysmic situation. Something had to be done. 

It was agreed that a convention would be held in Philadelphia in 1787. The publicly stated justification for this convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, the people who attended the convention knew no amount of revision would save it. They knew a new system of government would have to be created, that a new Constitution would need to be drafted. Thus, this became known as the Constitutional Convention. 

Fifty-five delegates arrived from 12 states (Rhode Island was quite happy with their position under the Articles of Confederation and sent no one). The delegates were drawn from the elite (as one historian put it, they were “well-bred, well-read, and well-fed”). Among the key delegates was George Washington, who would preside and lend credibility to the group. Benjamin Franklin also brought an air of respectability to the proceedings. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison had strong views about what the new government would look like, and they played significant roles. 

Once the delegates arrived, it became clear that while they knew what they didn’t want, they also didn't know what would work. The delegates knew the Articles of Confederation, where all the power was held by the states, was not what they wanted. They also knew America’s citizens didn't want another king, where all the power was held by a single person. However, that left much room for disagreement and argument. 

One conflict concerned the power each state would have in this new government. Not surprisingly, large states thought they should have more influence. Small states believed all states should be represented equally. The delegates were able to reach a compromise, in which one house of Congress, the House of Representatives, would reflect a state’s population and the other house, the Senate, would feature equal representation. 

The question of representation brought about another conflict. Southern states sought to include enslaved people in counting a state’s population. Northern states objected, noting that enslaved people were treated as property, not people. A few delegates thought this new Constitution should forbid slavery. Others threatened to walk out if such a move were to be attempted. Once again, we reached a compromise. Enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person.  

Another conflict concerned the presidency. Some delegates opposed such a position, arguing the American people just fought a war to get out from under a king. Why would we want to create a new version? Other delegates pointed out that one of the main reasons the Articles of Confederation failed was the lack of a president. Then there was the question of how a president would be selected. Would it be by the people, or by Congress? Ultimately, it was decided that there would be a president, who would be elected by an Electoral College, which would be selected by state legislatures. 

Ultimately, the Constitution they created was relatively brief. 

• Article One dealt with the powers and qualifications of Congress. Unlike the situation under the Articles of Confederation, Congress would have the power necessary to govern. 
• Article Two dealt with the powers and qualifications of the president, who would be chief executive of this new government. 
• Article Three dealt with a Supreme Court and all other courts that Congress would create. There would now be a means of peacefully resolving disputes at the federal level. 
• Article Four addressed the problem we had under the Articles of Confederation of states acting autonomously, with no regard for anyone else. This provision in the Constitution required states to give full faith and credit to the actions of other states. 
• Article Five created a mechanism for amending the Constitution. 
• Article Six established the supremacy of the Constitution over all conflicting state law. 
• Article Seven created a process by which the Constitution would be approved. 

Many are surprised by just how brief the original Constitution was. What about freedom of speech? What about protection against unreasonable searches and seizures? What about the right to vote? All of these would come in the form of amendments. They were not in the original Constitution. The Framers knew there wasn’t time to try and create a perfect document. They needed to get something drafted, approved, and put in place before the country collapsed. 

While it was brilliant in many ways, it most certainly was not perfect. Slavery was acknowledged and permitted to continue to exist. There was even one provision about the return of enslaved people who had run away. Many look to these facts and criticize the Framers for not abolishing slavery. The simple and ugly reality is that many of the Framers owned people who were enslaved. Even the framers who were opposed to slavery were hesitant to address the issue in the Constitution. 

Fortunately, the Framers allowed the Constitution to be amended. Through this process of amendment, it has become a more perfect document. Civil liberties were identified and protected. Slavery would be abolished through a constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendments extended the right to vote to former enslaved citizens, to women, and to 18-year-olds. The poll tax, a device used to disenfranchise Black citizens, was outlawed by a constitutional amendment. 

The Framers should not be idolized as perfect or somehow superhuman. They were flawed, just like all humans, as was the document they created. At the same time, we should recognize them for seeing what needed to be done to preserve this new United States and taking the action to make that happen. Because of that courage, these flawed men saved this experiment of a democratic republic and allowed the story of America to be written. 

The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education department and Young Lawyers’ Section are looking for volunteer lawyers to speak to students throughout the month of September to celebrate Constitution Day. 

Each year the Citizenship Education department and YLS team up to send volunteer lawyers and judges into the classroom for Constitution Day. The goal is to connect students directly to the bench and bar through an important topic.  

“YLS is proud of our commitment to sharing resources and learning opportunities on civic education with students in our communities,” said Danielle Atchison, current YLS council secretary/treasurer and chair-elect. “We hope that you will consider signing up to speak during this time.” 

The Missouri Bar will provide volunteers with training and a presentation. Classroom assignments vary from elementary school to high school depending on need. Speakers will be assigned to schools in their area, if possible. You may choose the distance you are willing to travel on the sign-up form.  

If you are unable to volunteer, we ask that you send this form to schools in your area so that they can sign up to have a speaker. 

If you would like to be a speaker, please fill out this form online. 

Teachers are responsible for nurturing the minds of the next generation and preparing them to enter adulthood as informed citizens. The Missouri Bar is invested in helping teachers with this task. Its Citizenship Education program is currently working with Missouri teachers to help develop lesson plans related to American Government. The lesson plans will consist of materials to be used in the classroom, ideas for classroom discussion, and student projects.  

Teachers often wear many different hats and may not always have the time to create robust and interactive lessons. These 50-minute lesson plans are adaptable and meant to stand alone to help teachers when they do not have the time to come up with ideas. They are also great for new teachers who are looking for help with lessons. 

Ten Missouri teachers are volunteering their precious free time this summer to create these lesson plans. They understand the struggles of finding credible materials. That is why these plans will go through multiple review processes to make sure that the information is both accurate and presented in the best way to help teachers.  

“Not every teacher can make it to our trainings, but almost every teacher has access to a computer and the internet,” said Dr. Tony Simones, citizenship education director at The Missouri Bar. “This project could have a tremendous impact on the way government is taught in Missouri.”  

The lesson plans are a part of upcoming changes to the Teacher Resource page on MissouriLawyersHelp.org to provide additional resources. The first round of lesson plans will be published beginning in mid-August and the webpage will be updated as more lesson plans are created. 

Visit the Teacher Resources page to stay up to date on helpful resources. 

“The First Amendment is always of interest to teachers,” said Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Director, Dr. Tony Simones. “The fact that we were examining issues that the Supreme Court had yet to resolve added another level of fascination for the teachers. They were doing the very thing that the Supreme Court was doing at the time: wrestling with competing arguments and attempting to resolve the conflict for themselves,” said Simones. 

As in previous years, Simones collaborated with institute veterans Nisan Chavkin and Russ Sackreiter to design interactive sessions and develop materials. Participating teachers also walked through the same activities they will present to their students while brainstorming ideas and troubleshooting the challenges of approaching difficult topics in today’s political environment. 

Jennifer Wells, a teacher at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, says she enjoys exploring complex issues in a thoughtful and practical way while also leaving the program with resources to help her students understand and think critically about those issues.  

Rachel Fuller, a history teacher at Midway High School, continues to come back to Summer Institute to network with colleagues and share ideas, feedback, and inspiration in a refreshing and supportive environment.   

Visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org for more information about upcoming educational training and teacher resources made available by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education program. 

Joplin High School came in first place at the 2023 Show Me the Constitution, beating out six other Missouri schools. Central High School and Kickapoo High School took second and third places at the competition, held April 3 in Columbia.

During Show Me the Constitution, each school was given three controversial constitutional topics – Miranda rights, religious expression in public schools, and judicial review – to research and present arguments about. The teams had five minutes to present their opening arguments before a panel of volunteer judges – comprised of lawyers, current and retired judges, and educators. The competition judges then asked questions to gauge the students’ understanding of the larger issues and allow them to apply their logic to other similar scenarios before giving each school a score at the end of the round.

Joplin seniors Elijah Neville and Grayden Cravens said religious expression in public schools was their team’s favorite Show Me the Constitution prompt since it involved schools and impacted them as students.

“We (as a team) have very different opinions sometimes, but this is the type of environment where we can dig into the problem and try to understand it,” Neville said. “There are more things we agree on but there are also things we have to learn from each other. If I could do this for a living, that would be the dream.”

Seeing students ponder and debate large constitutional topics in a civilized manner made Hon. Gary Lynch, retired Court of Appeals judge, “hopeful.” As one of the competition judges, Lynch said opportunities like these allow students to engage with their civic duties early and establish a foundation that will assist them as they get older.

“Digging into these questions, really thinking about them, and then sharing your thoughts with other people in a thoughtful debate – even though you may have disagreements – is the model for a lifetime of conversation,” he said.

Following their presentation on Miranda rights, the Central High School team couldn’t stop smiling once they realized they debated in front of Supreme Court of Missouri Judge Hon. W. Brent Powell. The team – Sophia Leonard, senior; Elana Hadi, junior; and Lindsay Nel, freshman – agreed the competition provided valuable opportunities for them to not only debate complex issues, but also prepare them for their future careers. For Leonard, that involves going to law school to become a lawyer.

“I think it’s really interesting to get out there and interact with things that have real-world implications, even if people don’t necessarily see how abstract issues like constitutional law or current political issues affect their lives,” Leonard said. “It’s really important for young people to be able to engage with those issues.”

Throughout the competition, Powell routinely asked difficult questions to tie in other larger topics that students may not have considered, allowing students to ponder various scenarios and apply their logic in other instances. At the end of the rounds, Powell applauded many students for their understanding of the subject matters and ability to engage in thoughtful discussions.

“It’s exciting to see young people, students, not only appreciate and learn about the law but get excited about it,” Powell said.

The Missouri Bar Foundation is a charitable, nonprofit partner to The Missouri Bar that supports lawyers and their families, as well as furthers the law-related education of members and citizens in the state.

Teacher resources

The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department received $17,000 total from two foundation grants, each worth $8,500. The grants will help fund an overhaul of The Missouri Bar’s teacher resources webpage on MissouriLawyersHelp.org – including amassing a catalog of lesson plans, presentations, and classroom materials, as well as creating and implementing a marketing strategy to prompt teachers from across Missouri to access the materials.

The Citizenship Education Department already offers several educational events for teachers – like Summer Institute and the Street Law Professional Development Workshop. During these programs, the department shares resources that educators can take back to their classrooms. While many of these materials are already on MissouriLawyersHelp.org, teachers often don’t realize they are available and free to download.

“The teachers who are exposed to materials created by The Missouri Bar use them to achieve extraordinary things in their classrooms,” Dr. Anthony Simones, director of the Citizenship Education Department, states in the grant application. “The problem is that we are reaching only a small percentage of teachers (through Citizenship Education programs) … Our objective is to use the teacher resources webpage to reach a greater number of teachers … across the entirety of Missouri in every setting, from the largest of cities to the most remote of rural locations.”

The department plans to launch the redesigned teacher resources webpage and marketing plan later this year.

Statewide poverty law training

Legal Services of Southern Missouri received a $10,000 grant from The Missouri Bar Foundation on behalf of the state’s four Legal Aid programs – Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Mid-Missouri Legal Services, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and Legal Aid of Western Missouri – for statewide poverty law training.

The proposed two-day statewide training would focus on landlord-tenant law, domestic violence prevention, elimination of legal barriers to employment, and best practices to assist veterans, among other topics, according to the grant application. These trainings would help about 240 Legal Aid lawyers and staff stay up to date on areas related to poverty law.

“Statewide trainings are a cost-effective way of training large numbers of Legal Aid staff members on changes in the law, particularly those that are uniquely applicable to attorneys representing low-income clients,” the grant application states. “The trainings also facilitate the sharing of information about new best practices that strengthen the programs’ ability to provide high-quality legal representation to all Missourians.”

The Legal Aid programs anticipate conducting the statewide training in fall 2023.

Senior Citizens Handbook

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri received $6,000 from The Missouri Bar Foundation to continue publishing the Senior Citizens Handbook, a legal resource that helps older Missourians understand their legal rights and responsibilities.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has partnered with The Missouri Bar since 1977 to produce, publish, and distribute the handbook. The foundation has funded printing services of the handbook since 2011, according to the grant application.

The Senior Citizens Handbook is also available on MissouriLawyersHelp.org.

Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Conference

The Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program received a $1,000 grant from The Missouri Bar Foundation to help with expenses from the 2022 annual Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Conference, which offered educational opportunities for volunteers and committee members who work with MOLAP. Topics at the hybrid event included lawyer wellbeing, mental health, substance recovery, related ethics topics, and more.

The 2022 Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Conference will be rebroadcasted as a webinar from 8 a.m.-12:45 p.m. April 7. Click here to register for the event.

For more information about grant opportunities through The Missouri Bar Foundation, click here.

Many educators have gone above and beyond to teach the next generation about civics – giving students the confidence to engage in their democracy. But some educators stand out among the rest – and these are the ones we want to hear about! Nominate an exemplary educator for The Missouri Bar’s E.A. Richter and Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue awards.

The E. A Richter Award recognizes remarkable contributions by Missouri teachers, administrators, and schools to citizenship education efforts in the state. Past winners include secondary and elementary teachers; college professors; and school civics, citizenship, government, or law programs. The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education established the award in honor of E.A. “Wally” Richter, long-time Missouri Bar Law-Related Education Department director.

Click here to nominate a teacher, group of teachers, administrator, or school for the E.A. Richter Award. Nominations are due May 1.

The Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award honors individuals who embody civic virtue and have promoted it among Missouri teachers and students. The Missouri Bar Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education created this award to pay respect to Dr. Warren H. Solomon, social studies curriculum specialist with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who advocated for law-related education among Missouri teachers.

Click here to nominate someone for the Dr. Warren H. Solomon Civic Virtue Award. Nominations are due May 1.

You can read about past Missouri Bar award recipients here. To learn more about awards from The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section, click here.

The 14th Amendment grants citizenship and outlines several citizenship rights, including “equal protection of the laws.” Through presentations from federal court legal experts and case study activities, teachers explored exactly what “equal protection” means and how it is being litigated in courts today.

The teachers also participated in a moot court of a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina. During the moot court, teachers argued various points regarding the constitutionality of affirmative action programs through the lens of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

“This session is a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field and to be exposed to a case being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Dr. Tony Simones, director of The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department.

During the session and moot court, the teachers heard from Prof. Allen Rostron, with the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; Stephanie O’Banion, chief deputy clerk of the federal Court of Appeals; Hon. Gary W. Lynch, retired judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals-Southern District; Hon. Joseph Goff Jr., partner at Armstrong Teasdale and former associate circuit judge for the 24th Judicial Circuit; and Karin Schute, assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.

The Street Law workshop was hosted by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Department, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and The Judicial Learning Center. Click here to learn more about The Missouri Bar’s upcoming Citizenship Education programs or workshops.

To facilitate registration and promotion of these events, a new landing page for Citizenship Education events has been created at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. This Citizenship Education webpage hosts flyers for various training opportunities and the annual Show Me the Constitution competition, as well as online registration links when available.

Street Law will be held virtually March 2, and it will focus on helping teachers even better educate students on the federal courts and the Equal Protection Clause under the 14th Amendment. This is offered at no cost to qualified participants.

The Show Me the Constitution mock constitutional hearing competition will be held on April 3 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia. Students will present their ideas on the year's topics to a panel of judges, lawyers, and government officials. The first, second, and third-place winning schools will be awarded $1,000, $750, and $500, respectively, for civic education materials. Topics this year include prayer at the 50-yard line, the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the validity of Miranda rights. 

Two Summer Institutes are scheduled June 19-21 and June 21-23 in Jefferson City. These workshops provide teachers with classroom materials and ways to generate critical thinking among their students. These programs are offered at no cost to qualified participants.

The Missouri Bar Citizen Education Program, through exceptional sponsorship from The Missouri Bar Foundation, provides extensive support for classroom learning about the law, the legal system, and the courts.

This September, The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department is asking lawyers to enter area classrooms and teach students about the U.S. Constitution.

Volunteer speakers will be connected with local teachers who have indicated an interest in having a presentation. The Missouri Bar will then provide all the teaching tools and resources needed for a lecture.

Sign up here!

Dr. Tony Simones, the program’s director, was excited that it was possible to bring the instructors together in person since the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic made it imperative to move to a distance-learning format.  

As in previous years, Simones collaborated with veterans of prior institutes, Nisan Chavkin and Russ Sackreiter, to design interactive sessions and develop materials. Missouri’s participating teachers were able to walk through the same activities they would be presenting to their students while brainstorming ideas and troubleshooting the challenges of approaching difficult topics in today’s political environment – problems that are often confronting teachers directly. 

Ryan Kaden, a U.S. history teacher at Schuyler R-1, uses the material from the institutes on a weekly basis in his classroom.  

“The content and strategies that we learn are fantastic and the session on federal agencies made a tough topic interesting and accessible,” Kaden said. “The networking and social interaction from the in-person institutes are just as important. Teaching can be a lonely business. The summer institutes create a family of sorts that can be relied on for everything from curricular support in the classroom to social support outside of it.” 

Becky Rose, with Belle High School in the Maries R-II School District, was also complimentary of the Summer Institute.  

“The awesome materials and great activities will all be used in my classes this year,” she said. “The activities really help students connect with the information and help them learn critical thinking skills that are necessary for success today. “ 

Visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org for more information about upcoming educational training and teacher resources made available by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education program. 

Nicole Roberts-Hillen

The competition is a mock-Congressional hearing where students are challenged to research and deliver oral presentations about topics related to Constitutional issues surrounding current events. After students present their arguments, contest judges ask questions to gauge students’ knowledge and understanding of the topic.

That competition was critical for Atchison, now a business immigration lawyer with Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm. At the time, she aspired to attend law school and saw the competition as an opportunity to test her abilities.

“That pivotal moment was the We the People competition. The entire semester was scary and exciting and changed my life,” says Atchison, who now judges Show-Me the Constitution.

Show-Me the Constitution is just one of many ways The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department aims to inspire students to engage in civics.

Lighting a spark

The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department creates resources to help teachers discuss government and constitutional issues, along with programs to help students understand and engage in civics.

The department offers a plethora of PowerPoint presentations, test questions, and interactive classroom activities that educators can implement. It provides ideas for research projects, as well as movies and TV shows teachers can play in their classrooms to illustrate complex governmental ideas. These resources are available at MissouriLawyersHelp.org.

The department also hosts trainings like the annual Summer Institute, a free, multi-day event where civics and government teachers can master innovative ways to explain Constitutional issues. The institute may focus on an amendment, like freedom of speech or search and seizures, or it could dive into a part of a governmental institution, like the presidency or the courts.

No matter the topic at hand, the goal is to help teachers even better make these matters exciting to students.

“We’re not only wanting to help teachers get through a semester of this, but we also want to light a spark within these students that’s going to be there for the rest of their lives,” says Tony Simones, director of the Citizenship Education Department. “You do that by raising issues that are timely and relevant.”

Trish Baumgartner, a teacher at Jefferson High School in Festus, regularly participates in the Citizenship Education Department’s trainings. She says the programming has developed her teaching style.

“Really understanding a concept requires more than memorization,” Baumgartner says, noting that methods shared by The Missouri Bar ask students to use what they’ve learned. “It requires students to look at both sides of an issue and assess where they stand.”

Through the Citizenship Education Department’s work, Baumgartner’s students have been exposed to new people and ideas, expanding both their abilities and their self-worth.

“I have introduced my students to the Supreme Court of Missouri judges and talked with (presidents George H.W.) Bush’s and (Bill) Clinton’s chiefs of staff,” she adds. "It is beyond exciting to watch your students learn that they are more capable than they were aware."

Simones understands that when educators find unique ways to teach government, they’re more likely to capture students’ attention, and the young learners may be more likely to grasp complex topics. In Atchison’s case, We the People helped her better understand due process.

“Government classes can be fill-in-the-blank and memorize terms, but I mastered due process because of that competition,” Atchison says. “It was practical, hands-on skill sets where I was building the muscles to dig into a concept that was maybe way too difficult at first sight.”

The U.S. governmental system was created with the idea of having an “informed and involved citizenry,” Simones explains. When students participate in the governmental activities in their classes – such as arguing First Amendment rights or discussing how judges are appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court – they discover that they have opinions and their ideas matter. Students also grow more confident in expressing their opinions and develop trust in the system, Simones adds.

“The empowerment that you see from that kind of situation, it’s what creates the next generation of leaders,” he says. “If we can instill in the students confidence and commitment and interest, that could be a new world.”

How lawyers and judges can help with civics education

While the classroom materials Simones creates are predominately implemented by educators, it’s also easy for lawyers and judges to utilize these resources when they speak to classes or community groups.

Simones and Atchison encourage legal professionals to ask their local teachers about speaking to their students. They can also chat with The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department about volunteer opportunities and available resources.

“The more people know about our courts, the more they’re going to believe in the courts and the more they’re going to strengthen our courts,” Simones says.

These programs and volunteer opportunities are also a great way to humanize lawyers and judges.

When Atchison competed in the We the People competition, she remembers Hon. Duane Benton, with the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and the impact he had on the students. Volunteering as a competition judge, Benton continuously smiled at students as they presented their arguments and answered his questions.

“He’s a kind person, so to sit across from him – who’s very prestigious in his own right – as a 17-year-old was so scary but also so comforting to know that this is a human being sitting in front of me,” Atchison says.

That humanization can inspire students to pursue careers in the legal profession, Simones adds.

Some lawyers and judges are hesitant to participate in civics education programs like Show-Me the Constitution because they are worried about the time investment and preparation, Atchison says. The Missouri Bar offers resources legal professionals can use when speaking to classes at MissouriLawyersHelp.org. Lawyers and judges don’t need an abundance of preparation given that they understand the Constitution and have support from the bar’s Citizenship Education Department staff, Atchison adds.

“The little investment you give, the benefit is exponentially greater for the students you’re working with,” Atchison says.

To learn more about the work of The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department and how you can get involved, visit MissouriLawyersHelp.org.

Central High School in Springfield won top marks Dec. 8 when students vied online in The Missouri Bar’s Show-Me the Constitution competition. Second place was a tie between Joplin and Nixa High Schools. The contest was close with all three schools earning high scores for their efforts.  

The mock-Congressional hearing competition posed questions regarding Constitutional issues surrounding current events to 27 participating high school students. Teams then presented oral arguments to a panel of judges and answered additional questions evaluating their understanding of the Constitution. 

On Sept. 17, 1787, delegates of the Constitutional Convention adopted the United States Constitution, setting in motion the system of government that would guide our country for the next 234 years. Today, we recognize that historic mile marker each year on Sept. 17 as Constitution Day. 

Why is Juneteenth important today? To understand the significance of this commemoration, John Gunn, 2020-21 president of The Missouri Bar, provides the following viewpoint:

“Diversity of ideas and perspectives can feel threatening to many whose self-interest historically coincides with the efforts of society at large. After all, if we are honest with ourselves, many of us don’t occupy our spaces without a fairly massive assist from our privilege.

A cursory consideration of prominent surnames in the Missouri legal community provides a striking rejoinder to any suggestion that communities of color have not been marginalized within our profession. A conscious decision must be made by each of us to peer out from behind the privilege into which many of us were born to observe the spectrum of humanity our self-interest so often obscures.

Historical reluctance to acknowledge that privilege suppresses celebration by broad swaths of American society of the official end of slavery on June 19, 1865. Viewed in isolation, it seems anathema not to celebrate the formal termination of our country’s edition of one of the most dark and cruel manifestations of human avarice. June 19 provides another opportunity for us all to harmonize and appreciate the progress the date signifies, while simultaneously conceding how far it is we have yet to go.”

Gunn noted that as we continue as a society to work to educate ourselves about bias and the historical implications of racial disparity, it is important to recognize the significance of holidays like Juneteenth.

It is notable that Texas adopted Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980 and Missouri has recognized the date’s significance since 2003. That said, it is also notable that the date has largely been unrecognized outside of Black communities for many years, even though celebrations have been held for more than 150 years marking Juneteenth’s importance. A bill was recently passed by Congress, which President Biden signed into law Thursday making June 19 a federal holiday. The action closes federal offices Friday, June 18, in observance of the new federal holiday. 

Earlier this year, Supreme Court of Missouri Chief Justice George W. Draper III authorized the closing of all state judicial offices for four hours Friday, June 18, 2021, for the Juneteenth holiday. Following the enactment of the federal holiday, the order was amended for the state's judicial offices to be closed the entire day ito allow staff time to reflect on the importance of Juneteenth.

Please check with your local court if you have questions about the hours of operation or need assistance. For more information about the full history of Juneteenth, an interactive article curated by the National Museum of African American History and Culture is available online.

Happy Juneteenth!

Quality teaching makes a huge difference in the lives of students and that is especially true in the teaching of government and civics. The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department on Tuesday collaborated with the U.S. District Court

The virtual workshop brought together 25 high school teachers along with Missouri legal professionals and Street Law program coordinators to explore strategies for teaching the Fourth Amendment and to practice mini moot court exercises.  

“Street Law is a program that usually succeeds because of the extensive interaction among teachers,” said Dr. Tony Simones, director of citizenship education for The Missouri Bar. “We were concerned the online format would undermine that interaction, but the teachers communicated with each other extensively, albeit virtually.” 

The mini moot courts allow students to examine how the legal system works through role playing as a petitioner, a respondent, or a judge. In addition to learning how to conduct mini moot courts with their students, the teachers were presented with instruction methodologies and timely classroom materials.  

The court case used for this year’s workshop was Canaglia v. Strom. This case involved issues around the seizure of two firearms while Edward Canaglia was undergoing a voluntary psychiatric evaluation following an altercation with his spouse. The guns were not returned for three months, prompting Canaglia to file a lawsuit claiming violation of his Second and Fourth Amendment rights.  

“One thing that was not different was the outstanding content and teaching strategies provided by Street Law,” said Simones. “Because of the great work by the facilitators, the participants and the coaches, it was a tremendous success.” 

Street Law program coordinators included Cathy Ruffing and Jen Wheeler. Additional program staff included Rachel Marshall of the U.S. District Court, and Dr. Tony Simones, Becky Libbert, and Russ Sackreiter representing The Missouri Bar.  

Program participants were also coached by the Hon. Joseph L. Goff, Jr., associate circuit judge in St. Francois County; Nauman Wadalawala, assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri; and Diane Dragan and Ryan Hehner, both assistant Federal Public Defenders, Eastern District of Missouri.  

“The participation of these Missouri legal professionals enhanced the workshop because they were able to provide insight as to how the laws were applied based on the specifics of the case in question,” Simones added. 

For more information about The Missouri Bar’s upcoming Citizenship Education programs or workshops, please contact Simones at tsimones@mobar.org.