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Bar News - November 21, 2003 Supreme Court Holds Session Before 600 Students MORE THAN 600 high school and college students from central NH listened attentively as attorneys presented two cases for oral argument at a special "road" session of the NH Supreme Court on Oct. 30 at Plymouth State University. In the fourth such program held by the court at locations around the state, the students then incisively questioned the attorneys about the cases they'd presented. Later, the justices, after conferring on the last case submitted, also appeared before the student audience at PSU's Silver Cultural Arts Center auditorium and answered questions of a general nature. (Chief Justice Brock, in a letter published elsewhere on this page, said the students' questions evidenced the high quality of preparation they received.) It was the largest audience ever convened under the program, which uses two actual cases on the court's docket that are selected for oral argument in this setting because of their nature and potential relevance to a student audience. Volunteer attorneys not connected with any of the cases, recruited by the court in cooperation with the New Hampshire Bar Association, are asked to orient students to the issues that will be discussed, the appellate process generally and the role of oral argument in that process. Superior Court Chief Justice Walter L. Murphy, who served as moderator of the program in Plymouth (where he was in private practice for many years), said the prospect of questioning by the students instilled almost as much anxiety in the attorneys as the grilling they were to receive from the justices. In addition to Plymouth State University, the high schools participating in this session were: Alton Central; Bishop Brady; Franklin*; Gilford; Inter-Lakes; Kingswood Regional; Laconia; Laconia Christian; Lin-Wood; Moultonboro; Newfound Regional; North Hampton; Pembroke Academy; Pittsfield; Plymouth Regional; and Sant Bani. * The Franklin School District extends its thanks to the Merrimack County Bar Association for its contribution to pay for bus transportation for students to this event. Chief Justice Thanks Lawyers For Help With 'On the Road' The following letter was sent to NH Bar News by NH Supreme Court Chief Justice David A. Brock. All of us at the Supreme Court want to extend our thanks to the lawyers from the New Hampshire Bar Association who volunteered their time and expertise to prepare hundreds of high school students for the special session of the Supreme Court held at Plymouth State University on Oct. 30. It is vitally important to the educational success of the program that students arrive at the event with a clear understanding of the facts and legal issues that the court will be hearing about during oral argument. Volunteer lawyers visited 16 high schools prior to the session at Plymouth, reviewed case materials with students, and discussed the workings of the Supreme Court. We are told that the interaction between the students and lawyers after each case indicated the students were well-versed on key issues and eager to raise questions. We felt the same energy in the student audience during their session with us about our work and we credit the volunteer lawyers for helping to generate that enthusiasm. The lawyers who participated in the school briefings were: Jesse Friedman, Christopher Johnson, Lauren Noether, Philip T. McLaughlin, Martha Van Oot, David H. Bownes, Gerard J. Boyle, Thomas W. Cowie, Amy Vorenberg, Paul Maggiotto, Ann Rice, David S. Osman and Gayle M. Braley. Judges Edwin W. Kelly, Robert C. Varney and David L. Kent also participated in briefing students in advance of the event. Finally, we want to thank New Hampshire Bar President Russell F. Hilliard for his support of our public outreach efforts, and for briefing students at his alma mater, Pembroke Academy.
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