Court is in session

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005 | 7:34 a.m.

Some of the UNLV law students attending a session of the Nevada Supreme Court on campus Tuesday say a lesson that they came away with is that Clark County School District teachers had better watch out for their jobs.

Several students in the makeshift courtroom at Boyd Law School observed an appeal of a fired elementary schoolteacher in a case that could weaken job protection for teachers in Nevada, depending on how the three-justice panel rules.

About a dozen of the estimated 120 students attending the session told the Sun they believe the School District will prevail. None said they believed the teachers' union won.

Overall, the students said, the three campus sessions of the state's highest court, which began Monday and end today, are providing them with valuable insight that should help them become better lawyers.

"This is my first exposure to an appellate hearing," said 25-year-old Lisa Grew, a first-year UNLV law student and graduate of Boston University. "It was more like a student giving a dissertation before learned professors," than a courtroom trial.

Several students said they were surprised at how the appellate process worked, with each lawyer getting just 15 minutes to argue a case, while the justices peppered them with often-adversarial questions throughout their presentations.

Boyd Law School Dean Richard Morgan said that is not an uncommon reaction from law students.

"I think a lot of folks who go to law school have never previously been exposed to the appellate process, so that makes this first-time experience at our law school a very valuable one.

"The court picked some interesting cases," Morgan said.

The cases ranged from one involving questions about the way police handled an underage killer to business disputes.

"By agreeing to hear the cases on campus, that shows the court cares about the law school and professional development of our students," Morgan said. "It's great prestige for the school to have the court meet here, and it helps the students get acquainted with the justices and attorneys."

Tuesday's hearing on the teacher's appeal -- win or lose -- is the end of the road for the case because there are no federal constitutional issues for either side to take to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The justices' decision will settle "important questions of public policy," Justice Bill Maupin told the students.

After Tuesday's session, Morgan met with school officials to discuss the progress of the construction of a 180-seat campus court auditorium that could be the site of future Nevada high court hearings or even a hearing by the 9th Circuit Court.

"We've got the funding and the architect, now we have to get the construction details worked out," Morgan said of the auditorium, which is scheduled to open next fall. "I would welcome the justices (to use the facility) more than one time a year."

Morgan said the justices, during a question-and-answer period with the students following Tuesday's session, hit on "the right themes, including the importance of writing (decisions) and of dealing with people as professionals."

"Justice Maupin made a good point telling the students they are the future attorneys who will change the laws," Morgan said.

Ed Koch can be reached at 259-4090 or at koch@lasvegassun.com.