Chief’s Column: Supreme Court Learning Center drawing visitors from near and far to learn about Judicial Branch

8/26/2024

Chief's Column: Supreme Court Learning Center drawing visitors from near and far to learn about Judicial Branch

By Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, Illinois Supreme Court

Courts derive much of their authority from the trust and confidence that they instill in the people that they serve. One way to build that trust and confidence is transparency-highlighting the often-misunderstood institutional processes that lead to principled judicial decisions.

Illinois is at the vanguard of that movement, and our Supreme Court Learning Center is a place where the public can gain insight into the important work of the third branch. Here to talk about the Learning Center is the Executive Director of the Court's Historic Preservation Commission, John Lupton.

By John Lupton, Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission

The one-year anniversary of the opening of the Illinois Supreme Court Learning Center gives us an opportunity to reflect on its mission and accomplishments and to plan for future programming.

Illinois is one of 10 state supreme courts with a judicial learning center, and seven more states are in the planning stages of creating one. Located in the former Fourth District Appellate Court conference room on the second floor of the Illinois Supreme Court Building, the Learning Center is designed to enhance the visitor experience at the Supreme Court. The Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission provided the content, and Taylor Studios, an Illinois-based museum design firm, created the layout for the space.

During tours of the Supreme Court, visitors see the courtroom and learn about the Court's important work. Other rooms on the tour include the Attorneys Room, which show photos of every Supreme Court justice since 1818; the former Fourth District Appellate Court, which is now used as a ceremonial courtroom; and the Law Library, which is open to the public. Guided tours conclude in the Learning Center, where visitors can explore the different ways the Court shapes the lives of Illinois's citizens. Interpretative wall panels, case studies, QR codes, and a photographic timeline inform visitors of notable moments in the history of the Court, as well as its present. Additional informational sections are entitled "How does a case make its way to the Illinois Supreme Court" and "Meet the Justices." The exhibits are modular; in other words, they can be changed in the future to emphasize other cases, making the Learning Center a dynamic educational component of the Court.

Recently, two new bronze busts were added to the Learning Center, featuring our former colleagues, Charles Freeman and Mary Ann McMorrow, who were the first African American and first woman, respectively, on our Court. They paved the way for other people of color and women to reach the highest bench in Illinois. Today, Illinois has one of the most diverse Supreme Courts in the country.

One of the more interactive displays is the controversial case exhibit summarizing a lawsuit that evokes discussion and differences of opinion. The current exhibit features McCollum v. Board of Education, a First Amendment case from Champaign County on whether public schools should provide religious education. The case reached the Illinois Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. After reading about the case, a visitor can vote via marble on whether they agree or disagree with the decision to keep the church and state separate. After a year of marble counting, we find that the percentage is about 55% who agree with the decision to 45% who do not. Several times, families with teenage children have spent significant time at the display discussing the case and its ramifications. I suspect that after they leave the Supreme Court Building, they still talk about this case. This drives home the idea that the work of the Supreme Court is important and impactful.

Visitation at the Supreme Court is up by more than 50 percent, in large part due to the Learning Center and the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission's outreach to schools, civic organizations, bar associations, and historical societies. Visitors have come largely from Illinois, of course, but we have welcomed many guests from other states, notably Chief Justice Mary Russell from the Missouri Supreme Court. The Learning Center has also seen visitors from other countries. College students from China, Nigeria, Brazil, and Belarus, and high school students from Italy learned about our system of government and how our courts interpret laws.

Regarding future plans, the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission has discussed partnering with both the Governor's Mansion and the Illinois State Capitol to offer civic education tours for middle and high school students. These experiential and specialized tours will allow students to visit the Capitol, the Mansion, and the Supreme Cour Building to instruct students on the three branches of government-how they operate and how they are independent to create our system of checks and balances. The civics education tour will utilize the latest Illinois State Board of Education curriculum guidelines to ensure that students receive the most comprehensive information on the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Studies have consistently shown that civic education results in increased civic engagement. Informed students will participate in elections as adults, run for office, become lawyers, and maybe end up on the Illinois Supreme Court.

If you have been to the Learning Center, now might be a good time to come back for a second or third visit. If you have never been, we welcome you to visit and bring your students, friends, and colleagues.

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