FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT ANNOUNCES NEW TYLER CIVICS INITIATIVE

May 1, 2026

In recognition of Law Day (May 1, 2026), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is kicking off a new Tyler Civics Initiative. This initiative will allow high school and college groups access to a courtroom at the William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse at 221 W. Ferguson St., Tyler, Texas, for civics education. High school students in grades 11 and 12 and students in their first or second year of college are eligible to participate.

Educators may request to schedule a single, two-hour courtroom session during the second week of the following months: January, February, March, April, September, October, and November. Sessions will be held during the court’s regular business hours. The court will provide educational materials for use.

The historic courtroom on the third floor of the William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse will be used for this initiative. Built in the Classical Revival style by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, the courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Tyler U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. The third-floor courtroom was the building’s original courtroom and continues to host judicial proceedings today. It is significant as a symbol of the federal government’s presence in Tyler. The courtroom was used by the jurist for whom the building is now named, Judge William M. Steger, a World War II veteran, who is honored by a display in the courthouse lobby.

More information for educators is available here: Tyler Civics Initiative | Eastern District of Texas | United States District Court. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is pleased to make the Tyler federal courthouse a forum for civics education as part of a civically engaged East Texas community.