September 29, 2011
Experiential learning is a cornerstone of legal education at St.
John’s School of Law. During the 2010-11 academic year, students
had two very special opportunities to learn about the law and
advocacy in their highest form when they traveled to Washington,
D.C. to attend oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court.
“It
is important not only for students to read the Court’s precedent,
but to understand first-hand how common law is made and by whom,
said Professor
Janai S. Nelson, who organized and led one of the trips with
Professor
Leonard M. Baynes. “Indeed, there is no better way to
understand the power and enormity of the American judicial system
than to visit the Supreme Court.” The students, who made the trip
through the generosity of Dean
Michael A. Simons, agreed. “Hearing oral arguments on two
distinct cases enhanced my experience as a law student and my
appreciation of the unique challenges the Supreme Court faces,”
said Scarlett Freeman ‘13. “The Court must decide difficult cases.
On the other hand, for cases that appear to be easy, it must remain
open to arguments from both sides in order to arrive at a just
decision.”
The 12 student participants enjoyed a thrilling coda to an already
unprecedented experience when they had a private meeting with
Justice Clarence Thomas. Describing the job of a Supreme Court
Justice as humbling, Justice Thomas discussed the challenges
associated with being a judge. He candidly described the tension
that often exists between a desire to help an aggrieved individual
and what the law calls for. His candor and sincerity in this
regard provided an in-depth look into Justice Thomas as a
jurist.
Recounting his personal experience, Justice Thomas spoke of
perseverance and maintaining faith despite adversity. He also spoke
passionately about the importance of education and giving back to
the community without seeking recognition for it. “Justice Thomas’s
statements about helping the community were inspiring, recalled
Andrew Saintanasse ‘11. “Often, we take a lot of things for
granted. We don’t realize the importance of the people who pushed
us to succeed, the people who opened doors for us. When we give
back to our community, we become that person for someone else. It
doesn’t matter if we receive the credit for that person’s success.
All that matters is that we helped.”
On the second trip to the Supreme Court, students from the Law
School’s
Child Advocacy Clinic heard oral argument in the high profile
case of Camreta v. Greene. The central issue in Camreta was the
Ninth Circuit’s application of Fourth Amendment protections to
child abuse investigations conducted on school grounds – an issue
of particular interest to clinic participants who represent abused
children. Together with clinicians
Jennifer Baum and
Teresa J.Grogan, the students reviewed the legal briefs,
debated the issues, and made predictions about likely outcomes
before heading to the courthouse. The oral arguments were riveting.
“While I attended several moot court competitions and learned about
oral argument in class, nothing prepared me for the heat emanating
from the bench that morning,” said Lisa Bonanni ’12. “The justices
were intense, asking difficult questions and presenting complicated
hypotheticals.”
Her experience at the Supreme Court that day gave Jessica Termini
’12 a practical and invaluable lawyering lesson on being prepared
for questions you do not think will be asked “Going forward in my
career, I will definitely plan to spend time researching case law –
and really understand my position from every angle,” she said.
“That way, I will be fully prepared not only to advocate for my
client, but to explain why I am advocating for a particular
position. I believe this will not only help my confidence, but my
clarity and efficacy as well.”
With the success of the Supreme Court visits in 2010-11, the Law
School is planning a return trip this year. For more information,
contact
Professor Nelson.