On July 20 and 21, 2026, 43 high school students from Ohio’s Miami Valley attended the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio’s third annual Dayton Student Justice Institute (DSJI). The DSJI is a civics court seminar where students are immersed in criminal and civil law, constitutional issues, and instructed in the civility practiced in federal courts nationally. This year, students heard presentations from United States District and Magistrate Judges, the Clerk of Court, federal prosecutors and public defenders (including the United States Attorney and the Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Ohio), federal agents, U.S. Deputy Marshals, Pretrial Services Officers, and faculty and the Dean of the University of Dayton School of Law.
“The Dayton Student Justice Institute is one of the very best outreach programs our District Court offers,” United States District Judge Michael J. Newman said. “We teach the high school students not only about the workings of civil and criminal cases but also about the importance of civility and constitutional concepts such as due process.”
During the first day, where presentations were focused on criminal law, the students learned about federal criminal prosecution and defense, various tools of federal criminal investigations, arrests and the role of the United States Marshals Service, Fourth Amendment rights, the role of Pretrial Services and the process of drafting a Pretrial Services Report (including observing a mock interview), preliminary criminal proceedings (including observing a mock initial appearance, arraignment and detention hearing), and the factors that can influence whether a case ends in a plea agreement or a trial, as well as sentencing considerations.
The second day focused primarily on civil law and procedure. The presenters discussed various pathways to citizenship, the role of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, how civil cases come to federal court, and freedom of speech under the First Amendment. Students also observed a naturalization ceremony by United States District Judge Walter H. Rice and had the opportunity to make First Amendment appellate arguments before a panel of federal judges.
“It’s an honor to participate in the Dayton Student Justice Institute,” said United States Magistrate Judge Peter Silvain, Jr., who organized this year’s program. Judge Silvain noted that “in addition to providing the students with a basis to understand the work of the federal courts, the DSJI provides them a chance to interact with the Court’s judicial officers, attorneys and professionals and seek guidance in considering whether a legal career would be a path they are interested in pursuing.”
Modeled after some of the pioneering civics programs undertaken in federal courts across the country, including the Eastern District of New York’s long-standing program, the Southern District of Ohio’s Student Justice Institute has continued to expand its reach, with students from more than 18 school districts participating this year.
“We are grateful to the local high school students and to the Southern District’s judges, who uniformly support this important program,” United States Magistrate Judge Caroline Gentry said. The organizers of the DSJI—Judges Newman, Silvain and Gentry—thank Chief United States District Judge Sarah D. Morrison for her strong continued support of this civics initiative.
