International Studies students get the word from federal judge

United States District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller visited with more than 100 students at the School of International Studies at San Diego High School, sharing his views on law and stories from his career.

In a format modeled after the TV series Inside the Actors Studio, the event provided a unique opportunity for International Studies students to get a real sense of what it takes to become a federal judge and what the job is like on a every day.

While the specific focus of the event was related to current topics in civil law, Judge Miller also entertained the students with stories from his career at the California Attorney’s General Office, as a state court judge and federal court senior judge. Throughout the 90-minute event, students asked Judge Miller questions related to cases he has handled, law school, legal concepts and challenges he has faced. Judge Miller visited the downtown San Diego campus on Dec. 4.


The “Inside the Courtroom” guest speaker program is a collaboration between San Diego High School of International Studies and the United States District Court of Southern California. It is designed to provide students in the school’s legal pathway an opportunity to enrich their understanding of the law via interaction with its professionals. Speakers cover topics specifically selected to augment content from the classroom while describing its real-world application and context.


The program continues on Jan. 29 with Federal Magistrate Barbara Major and Feb. 26 with Judge Margaret Mann from the Federal Bankruptcy Court. For more information or guest speaker suggestions please contact Patrick Goddard at pgoddard@sandi.net.