Volunteer Opportunities
Judges Needed For First-Year Student Oral Arguments
Oral arguments will take place April 4 to April 18, in Boulder and Denver, and each argument will last approximately an hour and a half. See the schedule below. If you are interested in judging, please contact Maggie.Stephenson@colorado.edu.
Each spring, first-year law students at Colorado Law take a class in appellate advocacy. As part of this class, they research and write an appellate brief, and then argue the case in front of three-person panels of judges and practitioners. It's the first time many law students put on a suit and act like "real lawyers," and they take the process very seriously.
This year, the appellate question focuses on the free speech rights of high school students on school grounds. The defendant created a T-shirt regarding a referendum that sought to lower the legal drinking age in the state from twenty-one to eighteen. The T-shirt featured the slogan “I’m 18. I can vote. I can marry. I can pay taxes. I can go to jail. I can fight in war. NOW GIMME MY BEER!!!” During the school day, the principal demanded that the defendant remove the shirt, which he did. However, when he wore it to a pep rally that afternoon, he was suspended. There are two issues on appeal: (1) whether the school district violated the defendant’s First Amendment right to free speech when it prohibited him from wearing the T-shirt at school, and (2) whether the school district violated the defendant’s First Amendment right to free speech when it prohibited him from wearing the T-shirt at an after-school pep rally. Don't worry if you don't know much about constitutional law--we will provide judges with a bench memo and the students' briefs.
We greatly appreciate the involvement of the legal community in this process. Please forward this link to other members of your firm or organization who might also be willing to volunteer.
ORAL ARGUMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, April 4, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver
12:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m. (G. Stafford, T. Stafford)
Monday, April 7, University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (G. Stafford)
Tuesday, April 8, University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (T. Stafford, Kiernan-Johnson)
Wednesday, April 9
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver
11:00 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m. (G. Stafford, T. Stafford)
11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (Mack)
1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (Heiny)
University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. (Kiernan-Johnson)
Thursday, April 10, University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (Kiernan-Johnson)
Friday, April 11, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver
2:30 p.m. (Mack)
1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (Heiny)
Saturday, April 12, University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (Heiny)
Monday, April 14, University of Colorado Law School, Wittemyer Courtroom
4:30 p.m. (Kiernan-Johnson)
Wednesday, April 16, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver
1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (Mack)
Friday, April 18, Colorado Court of Appeals, Denver
1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (Mack)
