Drawing on the work and legacy of Supreme Court Justice and Nuremberg prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, participants will explore some of the most difficult questions facing citizens in a democracy: What are our rights? What can government do? Who is responsible? Who has the power to decide? What can citizens do when they disagree, and what happens when they lose?
Rather than focusing solely on what students should know about government, this program focuses on what students should be able to do.
Through realistic civic scenarios, role-playing, institutional mapping, constitutional case studies, and problem-solving exercises, educators will practice helping students:
Participants will engage with Jackson's opinions in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, Korematsu v. United States, Terminiello v. Chicago, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, and Brown v. Board of Education, as well as Jackson's work as chief American prosecutor at Nuremberg. These cases and historical experiences serve not simply as content to be taught, but as starting points for asking the kinds of questions students encounter in their own communities.
The program culminates in a Civic Action Toolkit that educators can bring directly into their classrooms. The goal is not to teach students how to win every civic disagreement. It is to teach them how to think, participate, and keep participating when democracy gets difficult.
CTLE Credits available!
The Robert H. Jackson Center is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization that is dedicated to presenting accurate and balanced information about complex issues. The opinions expressed by various guest speakers, panelists, and authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center, its Board, and supporters.
The Center fulfills its educational mission by welcoming diverse views and by providing a forum to explore a wide range of perspectives on often controversial legal and public policy issues. While we make an effort to ensure the information we provide is accurate and balanced, we welcome your comments, suggestions, or correction of any factual errors.
Since 2001, the Robert H. Jackson Center has preserved the values embodied in the life and works of Robert H. Jackson, who served as U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and Chief U.S. Prosecutor of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Through programs, presentations, exhibits, media, internships, and scholarship, the Center seeks to demonstrate to current and future generations the relevance and applicability of Justice Jackson’s ideas and writings. The Center provides educational content on the United States Constitution and Supreme Court, civil rights, the legacy of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and international human rights, and the rule of law. During his illustrious career, Justice Jackson addressed these subjects, and the Center recognizes his thinking remains relevant today.
