GCSU hosted the Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Magnolia Ballroom as the star piece of its Constitution Week celebration in coordination with the 237th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution.
The Georgia Court of Appeals is responsible for determining and correcting legal errors in trial courts. Every three months, the court will hear cases offsite from the Nathan Deal Judicial Center in Atlanta, where they are usually based. These hearings are usually held at law schools or bigger institutions in the state; this was the first time the Court of Appeals has convened at GCSU in recent memory.
Before the start of the oral arguments, GCSU President Cathy Cox delivered a welcome address.
“This is an extra treat for our students to get the chance to see our court live and in person,” Cox said. “We are grateful for this opportunity.”
Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard, Vice Chief Judge Trenton Brown and Judge J. Wade Padgett facilitated the panel. The cases, each varying and independent of one other, were presented to the judges and discussed in front of an audience of students and the public.
The appellants present three cases to the judges. The first case dealt with legal fees awarded to Appellee Tech Mahindra (Americas), Inc., or Tech Mahindra, and whether or not they were made in good or bad faith. The second appealed the legitimate or illegitimate guardianship of Dorothy Wilson. For the final hearing, the judges listened to arguments on behalf of a woman accusing Tanner Medical Center of failing to provide informed consent in her breast reduction surgery.
“Allowing students to have firsthand experience of watching oral arguments creates an opportunity to enhance our appreciation of the Georgia Court of Appeals’ role in our state’s justice system,” said Katie Cooper, a junior political science and philosophy double major. “Although I had a general understanding of the appellate process prior to the event, I gained a new level of respect for the judges’ role in maintaining the integrity of our legal system.”
After the cases were heard, students from GCSU’s Student Government Association, Mock Trial, Leadership Programs and other prospective law students were given the opportunity to ask the judges questions about the justice system.
“I tell people all the time I am never ever going to be the smartest guy in the room,” Padgett said. “But you can work really hard, and you can be dedicated to what you do, and you can be on time, and you can do your homework and you can do your case prep. You’re in control of that.”
Many students were curious about the judges’ career paths and how they could separate their personal morals and ethics from making legal decisions. In light of the Constitution Week celebration, all of the judges encouraged students to read and research the Constitution at both the state and federal levels.
“As a law student, I was incredibly honored to meet such incredible judges who do amazing work for our great state,” said Maddie Marcinkowski, a junior political science major. “It also made me realize just how accessible the field of law truly is, as there are diverse fields and areas of specialty within it.”
Cox says she is more than willing to host events similar to the Georgia Court of Appeals hearings at GCSU in the future.
“I think this was a good opportunity for our students to think about their own career trajectories and what they might do down the road,” Cox said. “Many of our students are interested in law, in one way or the other. They might have heard something that gave them a nugget of encouragement.”
