The ABA Division for Public Education and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois are pleased to announce the launch of the Honorable John F. Grady Teachers Institutes and Student Court Field Trip Scholarships in 2021!
Honorable John F. Grady Teachers Institutes
The Teacher institutes will focus on both appellate court cases defining important constitutional standards (for example, First Amendment and Fourth Amendment issues) as well as landmark cases coming out of the Northern District. This content will be explored through lectures and discussions with leading legal historians and scholars. Participants will then engage in discussions with judges and attorneys diving deeper into these issues. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate on lesson plans and classroom approaches they can implement during the school year.
Information about applying to the 2021 Summer Institute will be available in early 2021.
Honorable John F. Grady Student Court Trips
The Student Court Trips will build on the Teachers Institutes providing in-person access to the court by way of Student Court Trips. These court trips would give students a first-hand experience with the federal judiciary beyond what they see in a textbook. By pairing the student court trips with the Teachers Institutes, teachers will be able to work with their students in advance of their trips to the court to explore the role of the federal judiciary in our democracy. The Honorable John F. Grady Endowment will sponsor a limited number of field trip "scholarships" each year to help support student transportation and other related costs.
Information about applying to the 2021-22 court trips will be available in Spring 2021.
About the Honorable John F. Grady
The Honorable John F. Grady Endowment is named for the late Judge John F. Grady, who passed away in December 2019 after 39 years of distinguished service as a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Grady’s service was marked by an unwavering dedication to upholding the rule of law, and by compassion for the individuals and institutions affected by the Court’s decisions. The endowment’s mission of exposing Illinois educators and their students to the Court’s work is an appropriate addition to Judge Grady’s legacy of public service.
Interested in learning more about Judge Grady and making a donation to the Endowment? Learn more >>