Members of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA) plan to pump new life into high school civics classes with the launch of “Bringing the Courtroom to the Classroom,” a new program a judge will provide high school juniors and seniors with a “crash course” on why the study of civics, government and current events is so important.

Some 115 judges have been trained to deliver the program, according to Illinois Appellate Court Justice Carol Pope, of Petersburg, Ill., IJA president, who created the program with the Association’s Courtroom in the Classroom Committee.

The presentation includes an overview of the three branches of government and the federal and state courts, followed by an interactive discussion on an actual U.S. Supreme Court case, New Jersey v. T.L.O.

The Illinois Judges Association is a membership organization of 1,250 active and retired judges whose purpose is to foster public confidence in the independence of the judiciary, provide services and education to its members and information about court operations to the public. The organization, formed in 1971, is headquartered in Chicago. Please contact the IJA at 312-431-1283 if you are interested in having the program presented at your school.