Supreme Court Oral Argument in US Constitutional Law

On Tuesday in my US Constitutional Law course, students participated in a Supreme Court Oral Argument simulation. Some of the students were attorneys arguing the case (or amici) and others were Supreme Court Justices.

The simulation provides students with the opportunity to take what they have learned in lecture (in this case, about the Commerce Clause) and to put that knowledge of Supreme Court precedents to the test. Students develop a deeper understanding of the precedents as well as oral advocacy skills.

At home I am able to make arrangements for my Constitutional Law 1 class to use one of the courtrooms at Stetson College of Law. (And, on occasion, to make arrangements for my Constitutional Law 2 class to hold a mock oral argument in the chambers of the Florida Supreme Court!) I was hoping that we could make arrangements for my class at ULIM to be able to use a courtroom as well, but that was not possible.

Instead of our usual lecture hall, we appreciated the use of the conference room of the American Resource Center, which we were able to re-arrange to set up as a courtroom

This was the first simulation that these students had participated in -- except for those who participated in the mock US Senate Judiciary Committee Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing in my Judicial Process in the US course. Sample feedback from the Simulation Evaluations:

"In our country we don't have this kind of courses to learn how our judicial system works. I enjoyed it!"

"We began to learn how to implement our knowledge in practice"

"I have never done this kind of simulation, but it is beneficial to see how we react right in the situation, face-to-face with concrete questions and challenges."

"This experience is unique, because in this way we apply our knowledge that we gain during the classes. In this way we practice"