2026 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Your Voice. Your Story. Your America.

In 2026, our nation will celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence—a document that boldly declared “all men are created equal” and are granted by their Creator the “unalienable Rights” to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” It further proclaimed that to secure these rights, governments are instituted by consent of the governed. These words not only sparked a revolution but also set the foundation for the values we still strive to uphold today.

Which of these rights sparks your interest to reflect on its meaning and impact?

The Ninth Circuit Civics Contest prompt challenges students to choose one of these enduring rights—Life, Liberty or the Pursuit of Happiness—and tell us: (i) why this right was essential in 1776, (ii) how this right impacts you, your family or your community today; and (iii) what should we do to protect or improve this right moving forward? 

The 2026 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest is open to all students, grades 9-12, in public, private, parochial or charter schools, and homeschooled students of equivalent grade status in nine western states and two Pacific island jurisdictions.

Contest rules are available at https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest/.  Essay and video entries can be submitted on the website starting Jan. 7, 2026. Deadline to submit entries is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, March 6, 2026.

The contest is organized by the Ninth Circuit Public Information and Community Outreach (“PICO”) Committee. For more information contact the Ninth Circuit Office of the Circuit Executive at civicscontest@ce9.uscourts.gov.