Programs & Videos

On March 6, 2026, Judge Patricia Millett welcomed 155 D.C. high school students and their teachers for the Twenty-First Annual Mock Court Program hosted by the Historical Society.

On March 7, 2025, Judge Patricia Millett welcomed 155 D.C. high school students and their teachers for the Twentieth Annual Mock Court Program hosted by the Historical Society.

What is it like to prosecute or defend a high-profile false statements / perjury case in the D.C. Circuit? Join us on June 10, 2026 (4:30 pm – 6:00 pm) in the Ceremonial Courtroom for an inside look at one of the most prominent false statement cases in our court in the past twenty-five years.

The Juneteenth panel conversation via zoom about the new biography of Judge William Benson Bryant, Sr. by Tonya Bolden.

On June 27, 2024, the Society presented its 25th program overall and third in its series of Judge Patricia M. Wald Programs on Life and Law in the Courts of the D.C. Circuit.

On March 1, 2024, Chief Judge Srinivasan welcomed 165 D.C. high school students and their teachers for our Nineteenth Annual Mock Court Program.

On June 7, 2023, the Society presented a program focusing on the decision of the United States Court of Appeals in United States v. Microsoft Corp., 253 F.3d 34 (D.C. Cir. 2001).

On March 2, 2023, 15 judges, 40+ mentors, and 190 high school students from nine local DC schools participated in the Society’s 18th Annual Mock Court Program.

Read about the reenactment of a famous Supreme Court case, New Jersey v. T.L.O., an argument on student rights under the Fourth Amendment.

For our re-enactment, Professor Gillian Metzger offered background in the landmark 1984 case before advocates John P. Elwood and David C. Vladeck presented arguments. Judges Judith W. Rogers and Gregory G. Katsas made up a lively Bench which concluded with Professor Christopher J. Walker moderating a panel discussion that included Elwood, Vladeck and Dean John F. Manning.

Judges who heard the Mock Court arguments agreed that the Maret, McKinley Tech, School Without Walls, and H.D. Woodson students were extremely well-prepared and presented their 1st and 4th Amendment cases masterfully.

Before arguing cases involving 1st and 4th amendment issues before 10 federal judges, over 125 high school students crowded into the Ceremonial Courtroom to be welcomed by Chief Judge Merrick Garland. After presenting their well-prepared arguments, the students were praised for their work by Chief Judge Beryl Howell and each of the participating judges.

A panel analyzed the current status of the political question doctrine and its conceptual underpinnings, looking specifically at cases involving impeachment, the war on terror, and political gerrymandering to assess the proper role of the federal judiciary in our constitutional scheme. Following Professor Stephen Vladeck's opening remarks, the re-enactment began. 

Over 240 students came to the Courthouse in December 2017 to watch the re-enactment of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case involving high school students' free speech rights.

The Historical Society's 12th Annual Mock Court Program was a huge success. Over 170 students from McKinley Tech, School Without Walls, H.D. Woodson, and Maret School presented 5-6 minute appellate style arguments before 14 federal and D.C. Court judges on March 10. This was the largest program ever. Over 30 attorneys from D.C.'s legal community volunteered their time and met 4-5 times with the students, assisting them in preparing their arguments.

The full program on video of In re Judith Miller, a Society-sponsored program that explored the common-law basis for a reporter's privilege and how best to strike the balance between the public's right to know and the Government's need to secure information in the national interest. The program began with remarks by Professor David Pozen of Columbia Law School.