U.S. District Judge William E. Smith who wrote the decision in the Rhode Island right to civic education case Cook v. McKee (https://cookvmckee.tc.columbia.edu/) discussed the case and his views on the importance of civic education with Michael A. Rebell, lead counsel for the plaintiffs and executive director of the Center for Educational Equity (https://cee.tc.columbia.edu/) at Teachers College, Columbia University. The decision in Cook v. McKee was extraordinary. Although Judge Smith decided against the plaintiffs, he wrote a 50 page decision that emphasized in great detail the critical importance of civic education. In recent years, Judge Smith has become a strong advocate for civic education. This was a fascinating event, with the lawyer who brought the case interviewing the judge who ruled against his clients. Andrew Brennen, co-founder and chair of Kentucky Student Voice Team, introduced the discussion. This event was co-sponsored by DemocracyReady NY, the Rhode Island Civic Learning Coalition, and the Kentucky Student Voice Team.