News

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in cooperation with the State Bar of Wisconsin, invites high-school teachers from across the state to bring students to Madison for the award-winning Court with Class program. Since 1996, thousands of public, private and home-schooled students have benefited from this educational program, which runs from September to April each year.

Students learn about the Supreme Court by witnessing an oral argument live in the Supreme Court Hearing Room and meeting with a Supreme Court justice.

• Before visiting, teachers receive plain-language case summaries to help students understand the issues at stake in a particular case.
• During oral argument, students hear lawyers on each side make their strongest arguments while being questioned by justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• After oral argument, students meet with a justice – not to discuss the case, but to discuss the role of a justice and how a case is decided.

Students come away from Court with Class with a better understanding of the Supreme Court, the judicial branch of government and the legal issues involved in a case before the state Supreme Court. They learn that judges must resolve disputes according to the law and the facts of a case in a fair, neutral, impartial and non-partisan manner.

To apply for Court with Class, download and complete a registration form from the State Bar's website and submit by e-mail to Supreme Court Deputy Marshal Kevin Pond, kevin.pond@wicourts.gov. For more information, visit the State Bar's Court with Class website, or contact Kevin by email or at (608) 261-4313. Space is limited.

Teachers who are unable to bring students to Madison also should be aware that oral arguments of the Supreme Court are streamed live and available on archives of  www.wiseye.org and www.wicourts.gov (audio only). Additional teaching resources are available on the Wisconsin court system's website.  Synopses of past cases can be found at: http://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/sc_oralargs.jsp