HeplerBroom attorney Glenn Davis (right) and Kendall Chism, first place winner of the Judicial Learning Center’s 2024 Law Day essay contest.

HeplerBroom attorney Glenn Davis, in his role as President of the Board of Directors of the Judicial Learning Center of the U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, was privileged to present three awards for best essays in the Center’s 2024 Law Day essay contest. First place went to Kendall Chism of Belleville (Illinois) East High School. In her essay, Chism explored fundamental freedoms protected by courts and rule of law through the Loving v. Virginia case.

The theme for this year’s Law Day was Voices of Democracy. Classrooms throughout the U.S. studied the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall via videos and other learning materials available through the U.S. Court’s Law Day page.

The Judicial Learning Center is an independent non-profit corporation founded by leaders of the St. Louis legal community. Its mission is to promote public understanding of the function and value of the judicial branch of government and the importance of the rule of law. It was the first educational center in the country devoted to the judicial process in the federal courts and has steadily become a national model. The Center, which is located on the first floor of the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse in St. Louis, maintains an interactive learning space and supports a wide variety of educational programs for K-12 students and teachers. More information about its programs is available on its website.