On Thursday, September 16, 2021, close to a hundred people came together on the steps of the federal courthouse to celebrate the most basic thing we share as Americans: that together, we are “We the people,” and the Constitution is for all of us.
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Constitution Day 2021 - The Constitution Is For Us All
Bankruptcy Court - The Court of Second Chances
What do the following fifteen people have in common: Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and William McKinley; Senator George McGovern; business innovators Henry Ford, J.C. Penney, and Henry John Heinz; financial advisor Dave Ramsey; talk-show host Larry King; celebrated author Mark Twain; entertainment entrepreneurs Walt Disney and P.T. Barnum; actress Debbie Reynolds; and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Johnny Unitas?
Active Citizenship
This month we celebrated Independence Day, our nation’s birthday. The Fourth of July holiday reminds us of the founders’ tremendous civic activism and engagement in forming a new nation. In the years leading up to the decision to separate from England in 1776, they engaged in debates, arguments, assemblies, and public appeals on the pros and cons of separation.
To Support And Defend The Constitution
Every year, the Eastern District of Tennessee Civics Education and Outreach Committee partners with local chapters of the Federal Bar Association to sponsor local essay contests for high school students. The contests, which focus on some aspect of civics education, are open to public, private, and home-school high school students in all 41 counties in east Tennessee.
What is the Price of Democracy?
Most United States citizens consider ourselves fortunate to live in a modern, mature democracy. We appreciate the great freedoms and abundant material things our democracy affords us. But while we all know the old adage that freedom is not free, neither is democracy.
Why Don't All Federal Judges Rule the Same Way
A common question raised about the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, is why judges rule differently in the same or similar cases. Federal judges take an oath to "administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and [to] faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all [their] duties."
An Essential Court Function: Bringing the Words of the Law to Life
Over the past months, we have discussed the federal judiciary’s fundamental functions in our American democracy. One of those functions is to articulate and interpret the law. As stated by Chief Justice John Marshall in the famous Marbury v. Madison decision, "It is emphatically the duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is.
William Henry Hastie, A Legal Trail Blazer
February is Black History Month. The commemoration began as Black History Week in 1926, the brainchild of historian Carter G. Woodson. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling on the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
January 2021 Brings Change with New President and Congress
The nation will experience significant changes this January. The top echelon of the federal government will change. A new Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021, while the new President and Vice President will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021.
Bill of Rights Day: Celebrating the Fourth Amendment
A little-known day of commemoration, Bill of Rights Day, will soon be upon us. It was on December 15, 1791, that the first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution—the Bill of Rights—were ratified.