St. Paul, MN

Hometowns Program

Summer 2025

Investigate local landmark First Amendment case Near v. Minnesota (1931).

Program Recap

The Society partnered with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to bring 29 high school students from 23 high schools in the Twin Cities area to its federal courthouse from July 21-25, 2025. Over the course of the five-day program, the students took an immersive look at the Judicial Branch through the lens of Near v. Minnesota, a local First Amendment freedom-of-the-press case that reached the Supreme Court in 1931. During the program, the students learned from:

Assistant Ramsey County Attorneys, Chief Judge Sara Grewing of the Minnesota Second Judicial District, Senior Judge John Guthmann, and Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Diane Bratvold
Six U.S. District Court judges, including Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz
Five different local attorneys, including Katherian Roe, U.S. Federal Defender
Numerous other members of the federal court staff from the pre-trial & probation, federal defender, U.S. attorney, U.S. Marshal, and District Clerk offices

Students had the unique opportunity to attend a live court proceeding in Magistrate Judge Elsa Bullard’s courtroom, tour the Minnesota Judicial Center and watch a Court of Appeals argument in State v. Ashley, and participate in a private tour of the Wabasha Street Caves, focused on St. Paul’s prohibition era.

As a culminating capstone activity, students created a six-panel exhibit that is displayed in the U.S. District Courthouse. Each panel summarizes their new learning and the impact Near v. Minnesota has on their community and the United States. A formal opening of the exhibit was held on September 17, 2025, at the Justice and Democracy Center in St. Paul.

Special thanks to the Annenberg Foundation for their financial support of this program.

Students learn in the Justice and Democracy Center.

A group of St. Paul scholars chat with Judge Fisher’s extern.

Groups provide feedback on their capstone project to one another.

Listening to attorneys from Ballard Spahr talk about how they construct defenses of the First Amendment for journalists.

The Hometowns program has a wide variety of all kids from different parts of the area and allows you to create connections—which I believe is really vital in the law field—and you can dip your toes into the amazing world of law. On day 1 I said “Wow. How am I going to get to know all of these things?” and by day 5 I felt as if I could go teach my friends about the Judicial System. That’s how easy it is to learn and I think the My Hometown program really did a great job of creating that want-to-learn atmosphere.

London O.,

Write down any and every question you have about something. Don’t be afraid to ask them! Judges, lawyers, and court staff were so kind and excited to share their knowledge with students.

Gaby J.

Still have questions? We’re here to help.

Email Jamie Higgins Shaull, Civics Program Coordinator at [email protected].

Email Jamie