Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Commission on Judicial Independence & PennCORD Present

A Conference on the Judiciary for Teachers  

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Supreme Court Chambers

Pennsylvania State Capital

8:30 am – 3:45 pm

• Learn about the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions in this engaging and interactive one-day institute. The program is free to Pennsylvania educators and lunch is included. 
• Review and examine key cases in the history of judicial review and learn about it from both a United States and Pennsylvania Constitutional perspective. Participate in a classroom lesson “No Vehicles in the Park” that can be used to teach k-12 students about the differences between original intent, interpretism and non-interpretism. 
• Learn how the United States Supreme Court has changed its role over the course of history and show how this affects the division of powers between the federal and state governments.
• Hear how state constitutions are being used by state courts as a basis of protecting individual rights. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in Theodore v. Delaware Valley (a case involving drug testing in the schools) will be examined.  
• Receive free lesson materials from the Pennsylvania Bar Association on the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions that can be used with students in their classrooms. 
• Tour the Harrisburg Pennsylvania Supreme Court hearing room and learn about its history and modern day processes. 
• Network with colleagues and exchange ideas on teaching about the courts and judicial system to your students. 
• Find out how to follow cases moving up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and how to create your own lessons on past or future Court cases.
• Engage in a Mock Pennsylvania Supreme Court Argument with a distinguished panel of jurists and a team of your colleagues. 
• Hear from a prominent panel of jurists about how Pennsylvania’s court system works and what judges do: from the minor courts to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 
• Network with colleagues, judges and lawyers, and exchange ideas on teaching about the courts and judicial system to your students.  

Act 48 Credits Available    

Agenda    

8:30 a.m.    Registration   

9:00 a.m.    Welcome by Judge John Jones, Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille and Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, First Lady of Pennsylvania 

9:30 a.m.    Warm-up Exercise – David Trevaskis, Esq. – Pennsylvania Bar Association

10:00 a.m.    Judicial Review and Democracy: A Paradox or a Contradiction? – Dr. Francis Graham Lee, St. Joseph’s University

11:00 a.m.    Break/tour of Harrisburg PA Supreme Court hearing room on 4th floor of the Capitol

11:30 a.m.    Changing Roles: The Old, Modern and Contemporary Courts and their Impact on Federalism  Dr. Bruce A. Murphy, Lafayette College

12:30 p.m.    Lunch

1:10 p.m.      Mock PA Supreme Court Argument with PA Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin, Superior Court    Judge Jack Panella and Dauphin County President Judge Richard Lewis  

2:30 p.m.    Roundtable: Judges on Judging with judges from various courts   

3:30 p.m.    Evaluation  

3:45 p.m.   Optional Tour of Legislative Chambers      

RSVP by November 4, 2008

215.409.6684  or  jweaver@constitutioncenter.org