The Utah Court of Appeals held oral arguments on Wednesday, April 3, at the College of Law to give students a firsthand look at the state’s appellate court proceedings. Judge Ryan Harris, Judge Gregory Orme, and Judge Ryan Tenney heard arguments from two different cases in the moot courtroom and held a question-and-answer session from students about the proceedings.
The Utah Bar Litigation Section, which helps the judiciary with litigation-related projects and issues and promotes ethical and professional litigation practices and procedures, also co-sponsored a luncheon with the judges and students following the arguments and Q&A session.
“The Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar recognizes the importance of law student engagement with the litigation process and the judiciary, and the Section is a proud sponsor of such an exceptional event that promotes professionalism in the law for individuals that will soon join our Utah State Bar as licensed practitioners,” says Meg Glasmann, Utah Law alum and membership subcommittee chair of the Litigation Section executive committee. “The Litigation Section strives to provide members of the Utah State Bar with opportunities to learn more about litigation through sponsorship of programs like the Court of Appeals luncheon at the University of Utah.”
Lindsey Spero, president of the Student Litigation Society, was one of the many law students who attended the Court of Appeals oral arguments and luncheon last week and says the experience was very educational.
“Observing the different parties presenting their cases during the oral arguments was enlightening, but what truly distinguished this event was the intimate dialogue that followed with the judges. In the relaxed atmosphere of post-argument discussions, students seized the opportunity to delve deeper into the judges’ professional journeys, gaining invaluable insights into their paths to the bench. The openness with which they shared their experiences and imparted advice resonated deeply with the students at large,” she says.
Spero also enjoyed interacting with the judges in a smaller setting at the luncheon.
“Many students took advantage of this setting to seek advice about their career aspirations from the judges on a more personal level. Overall, I believe my classmates and I derived significant value from this opportunity, and I look forward to attending again next year,” she says.