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Drew at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Thirteen Drew juniors and seniors last week visited the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals at the James R. Browning Courthouse.
 
In the news recently for cases pertaining to DACA, marriage equality, and intellectual property, the Ninth Circuit is the largest Appellate court in the nation and one of the most influential. After a tour of the beautiful Beaux-Arts building built in 1905, the group attended two oral arguments in courtroom four.
Judges Michelle Friedland, Gary Feinerman, and Paul Watford heard Christine Moorehead v. Hi-Health Supermart Corporation and Gabriel Esquivel Barajas v. Jefferson Sessions, a discrimination and immigration case, respectively. In between arguments, students spoke with the law clerks for the three judges and learned about the preparation it takes to hear one of these cases. The law clerks offered advice on college majors, useful skills to develop, and the career paths that brought them to this position.
 
The highlight of the visit for the students occurred after the close of the arguments: a Q&A with the judges. For nearly 40 minutes, the judges answered students’ questions on a wide range of issues. Speaking on their own career trajectory, their faith in the law and US democratic institutions, and the range of cases they hear, Judges Friedland, Watford, and Feinerman explained the daily realities of the federal judiciary. As we left the courthouse, students spoke enthusiastically about the judges’ answers, reflecting on how they had learned not only about the judicial system, but also how seemingly abstract court cases affected their own and others’ lives.
 
For many, the visit opened up the exciting possibilities of a legal career as well as an appreciation of the Ninth Circuit Court’s place in both Bay Area and U.S. history.
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