The deadline for secondary history, government, and social studies teachers to apply to the 2023 North Dakota Justices Teaching Institute is May 1.

The North Dakota Supreme Court offers this public outreach program to foster a better civic understanding of the role of the courts, how they work, and how judges make decisions.  The Institute enables teachers to teach others with confidence about the nature, history, structure, function, and processes of the courts and the legal system. It also emphasizes civic engagement with the judicial branch.

The Institute is facilitated by the Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Courts, the Honorable Jon J. Jensen, the Honorable Daniel J. Crothers, the Honorable Lisa Fair McEvers, the Honorable Jerod Tufte and the Honorable Douglas Bahr

With Supreme Court justices as their guides through the day-and-a-half program the teachers explore the judicial system and the criminal court process in the context of preparing for the Institute's final application – a mock oral argument. The teachers will serve as justices and decide a constitutional question.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 19-20, 2023 at the State Capitol Building in Bismarck.

The application form is available on the court’s website at https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/justices-teaching-institute. The professional development is offered at no cost to the teachers and participants are eligible to apply for 1 graduate credit from the University of North Dakota.

For more information, contact Lee Ann Barnhardt, Director of Education, at lbarnhardt@ndcourts.gov.