Court kicks off collaborative effort with law schools to enhance students’ real-world litigation training 
 
WASHINGTON, DC – For the first time ever, the DC Court of Appeals, the highest court in the District of Columbia, is holding an en banc oral argument at a location other than its courtroom in the Moultrie Courthouse.  The Court is hearing an en banc appeal in the case of Lakeisha Wilson-Bey v. US and Sckenna Marbury v. US*, at the University of the District of Columbia.  After the argument, the judges will hold a question and answer session for the law student audience. 
 
The idea to hold oral arguments outside of the courthouse arose out of discussions Chief Judge Eric T. Washington had with local law school deans shortly after becoming Chief Judge last August.  “We talked about how the DC Courts and law schools could work together to further our mutual goal of providing law students with a real knowledge of the DC Court system and appellate litigation,” said Chief Judge Washington.  “This forum allows the Courts to further realize our vision of being open and accessible while offering local law students the opportunity to witness an oral argument first-hand and then engage in a question and answer session regarding appellate advocacy with judges and faculty.” 
 
UDC Law Dean Katherine S. Broderick said, “I commend Chief Judge Washington for bringing the Court of Appeals to the community.  We, in turn, have reached out to invite UDC undergraduates and local high school students to introduce them to how justice works at the highest level in the local court system.  We are also especially proud that the counsel for the appellant is an alumnus of the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, in fact, the eldest of four brothers, all of whom graduated from our law school!” 
 
The Court chose the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke Law School, the District’s only public law school, to host its first off-site oral argument.  The Court plans to hold oral arguments at the other area law schools during upcoming court terms.   

*The opinion of the three-judge panel, which is being re-heard by the full Court on March 20, can be found at: http://www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/pdf/01-CF-293+.PDF. 
 
En banc – technically this means “as a full court.”  The term is used to describe hearings before all judges of a court that usually sits in panels (typically three judges); en banc hearings are generally re-hearings of panel decisions. 
 
On Monday, eight DC Court of Appeals judges are hearing an appeal of a decision by a 3-judge panel which affirmed a Superior Court jury trial verdict finding the defendants guilty of first degree premeditated murder while armed and other offenses.