Teachers consider the rule of law and fair and effective courts during 2025 Street Law Professional Development Workshop

The Missouri Bar sponsored the 2025 Street Law Professional Development Workshop March 5-6, along with the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District and Western District of Missouri and the Judicial Learning Center. Thirty teachers from across the state attended the event at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.

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.