HCPSS Hosts Maryland Supreme Court, Providing “Once-in-a-Lifetime” Learning Opportunity for Students

October 21st, 2026

Seven hundred students from schools across Howard County gathered at Guilford Park High School (GPHS) in early October to do something most of us have never done: spend a morning with members of the Supreme Court of Maryland.

The morning kicked off with students watching as attorneys presented oral arguments on two cases in which the Court addressed what legal instructions a trial court must provide a jury to enable it to fairly evaluate a defendant’s belief of facts, and when a party must object to an inconsistent civil jury verdict.

Following the oral arguments, students had the opportunity to ask the justices questions that covered a range of topics, from what the justices’ path was to the Supreme Court to how the justices separate personal opinions from the ones they render professionally.

As the host school, GPHS students also had the opportunity to eat lunch with the Supreme Court justices, enabling the students to learn more about the judicial system through direct conversation.

Students said the Maryland Supreme Court visit provided them a number of valuable insights.

Amaani, a senior at River Hill High School (RHHS), said, “[The Court’s visit] helped me put into perspective and gave me an understanding of what the court was like. The justices had to be on their feet; there wasn’t time to think and they had to be quick with the questions and answers.”

“[The visit] gave me a better understanding of how the whole court system works,” added Emily, an RHHS sophomore. “It was interesting to see the lawyers explaining everything and without this opportunity, I would not have ever been able to see it in person. “

In particular, students said they valued the opportunity to get to know the justices on a more personal level.

“One of my favorite parts was getting to eat lunch with them and hearing them talk about their daily lives. It was amazing to see a different side of them and learn more about what they do,” said Nancy, a 10th grade GPHS student. “This experience was truly unforgettable and something I will always appreciate.”

GPHS sophomore Grace concurred, remarking, “My favorite part of the day was having lunch with Justice Watts and talking about her experience getting to her position and why she does what she does. My eyes were also opened to how these decisions affect our daily lives and the power these justices hold on our freedom. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. ”

HCPSS teachers also deemed the Supreme Court visit a meaningful educational experience for students.

“I’ve taught Law and the Citizen, Sociology, and U.S. History, and in those classes we spend time talking about the court system, individual rights, and how laws are interpreted. But there’s a big difference between learning about that in a classroom and actually sitting in the courtroom and watching attorneys make their arguments, and the justices question them,” noted RHHS teacher Amanda Brong. “I think [the visit] brought to life how people make arguments and support it with evidence in a real-life scenario where their reasoning can influence how the court might rule. I like that [students] got to see the justices really push attorneys to explain and defend their reasoning, just like I do to them in the classroom. I think what was especially valuable for the students was seeing that the law isn’t always as clear-cut as it can seem in a textbook or TV for that matter.”

“I feel like this experience benefited our students by letting them see how our judicial process works, by showing them how disputes can be settled by serious people in a civil way, and by reminding our students that our government is made up of living, breathing, human beings they can interact with and not by pictures in textbooks,” added GPHS Social Studies teacher Jonathan Weber.

HCPSS Superintendent William Barnes agreed.

“I am grateful our students had the opportunity to receive such special access to see Maryland’s judicial branch in action, observing how judges make decisions that can affect people across our State,” Barnes said. “Real-world opportunities like this allow students to envision future careers in the legal field, and I want to thank the Maryland Supreme Court and its justices for devoting their time and expertise in service of our students.”

Planning for the event began last spring, when Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader reached out to HCPSS’ Office of General Counsel about the possibility of hosting off-site oral arguments at HCPSS. A Howard County resident, Fader represents the Third Appellate Judicial Circuit, which includes Alleghany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, and Washington counties.

The Maryland Supreme Court holds off-site oral arguments at secondary or post-secondary educational institutions twice per term year at locations around the state. The justice from the host circuit selects the educational institution to hold oral arguments, with the approval of the full Supreme Court.

“Holding oral arguments in the community provides a valuable opportunity to witness the judicial system first-hand,” said Chief Justice Fader. “It also provides the members of the Court a wonderful opportunity to interact with students and community members. The Howard County high school students who attended oral arguments, who participated in the question-and-answer session with the justices, and who met with the justices after that, were very impressive. We hope they got as much out of the experience as we did. We thank HCPSS Superintendent William Barnes, Board of Education Chair Jennifer Mallo, Guilford Park High School Principal Josh Wasilewski, and all of the faculty and staff of the school system for supporting for this event and for their tremendous efforts in preparing the students and the school for such a rewarding experience.”

Additional information about the Supreme Court of Maryland’s visit to GPHS can be found online.