University of Tulsa College of Law students, alumni, and community members gathered in the Price and Turpen Courtroom to watch as a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel heard oral case arguments on campus.
Three Denver-based judges heard five cases in front of a packed courtroom on Feb. 6. The items on the docket ranged from a trademark dispute to a murder conviction. A sixth case will be decided based on briefs filed. The 10th Circuit includes Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, and Oklahoma.
“We read a lot of case law in law school, but it’s very different to see attorneys stand up and argue their points,” said second-year UTulsa law student Rachel Burrell.
Burrell said she was surprised by some of the questions asked by the judges to the attorneys
“They seemed less related to the arguments than I expected,” she said. “They were more pointed than maybe you would think from the judges, and the attorneys really have to think on their feet. And some of them were better at that than others.”
Burrell, who is currently interning for a judge in the Northern District, said she was interested in two of the criminal cases: One concerned a qualified immunity case about police brutality shooting and the other was a search-and-seizure issue.
The judiciary panel included Senior Judge Stephanie K. Seymour, Judge Robert E. Bacharach, and Judge Gregory A. Phillips.
Following the oral arguments, the judges held a question-and-answer session with UTulsa Law students, where they answered questions and shared insights on everything from using each other as a resource to artificial intelligence in the legal profession.
“This has been a wonderful day for the law school and a wonderful day for the Tulsa legal community,” said College of Law Dean Oren R. Griffin. “Having this type of program at our law school is an honor. Law schools across the country get the chance to do this, but it doesn’t happen quite so often.” He thanked everyone at the school and within the 10th Circuit.
Third-year law student Ammon Motz said he wants to be a litigator and hearing the arguments in person helped bring them to life.
“All we do is read cases all day,” he said. “All you hear is about these justices and these judges and the way that they interpret law, and it shapes everything that we’ve learned for three years. So, it’s cool to actually see that in action, because we spent three years just reading those opinions, and reading the briefs and going over stuff. Seeing it in action is completely different than anything that we experienced last week.”
Motz said that it was an honor to see the panel at UTulsa.
“They’re incredible legal minds,” he added. “You can find yourself in front of the 10th Circuit and, potentially, the Supreme Court from The University of Tulsa.”
The Federal Bar Association sponsored a reception for the judges and guests at the end of the day, allowing students and alumni to network.