This teaching module was developed by the Federal Judicial Center to support judges and court staff who want to speak to various groups about the history of an independent federal judiciary. It focuses on historical debates about judicial independence. Other modules in this series examine the constitutional origins of the judiciary and the development of the federal court system. Each module includes four components: background discussion to serve as talking points; a PowerPoint presentation that can be downloaded to provide a visual guide to the speaker's remarks; a list of suggested discussion topics; and selections from historical documents that can be used in discussion with the audience or incorporated in the speaker's remarks.

Talking Points
Suggested Discussion Questions
Historical Documents
Bibliography
Print or download full text [pdf]
View or save Power Point Presentation [ppt]

Other Modules:
Constitutional Origins of the Federal Judiciary
Establishing a Federal Judiciary