Order in the court

WJ hosts legal proceedings

The Ohio 9th District Court of Appeals held oral arguments at Walsh Jesuit High School in the Theatre on October 12, 2017, from 3rd-6th period. Judge Julie Schafer; Judge Thomas Teodosio, WJ Class of ’75 and a member of the Board of Directors; and Judge Lynne Callahan heard oral arguments in two cases.  Mr. John Norris’s AP Government students had the unique opportunity to watch the proceedings, ask questions of the judges and attorneys after each and have lunch with the judges.

(Jeffrey Sumner)
Hosting the court’s oral arguments provided an inspiring experience for students interested in government and law.

The 30-minute oral arguments the students heard involved real cases being appealed in court. When a case is appealed it is sent to the Court of Appeals to be reviewed to see if any errors in the trial proceedings were made. If an error is found, the case may go back to trial.

The 9th District Court of Appeals has an outreach program, called the Courtroom in the Classroom Program, aimed at students interested in law. Walsh Jesuit was lucky enough to have this program visit our school as this was only the third time this year that the court has honored a school with hosting it. This program has benefits for both schools and students.

A benefit to the school is that some students and teachers who might not normally see the rule of law in action have an opportunity to witness it firsthand. Students see how our  judicial system resolves issues and how lawyers argue without being argumentative, and they learn about responsibility and courtroom etiquette.