Political Science Students @ SCOTUS
Five political science majors headed to D.C. in April, on their own time/dime, to view oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer. (See http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/trinity-lutheran-church-of-columbia-inc-v-pauley/ for details on the case.) Four of the five were students in Professor Benesh’s POL SCI 417, The Supreme Court, class last semester, where they used Trinity Lutheran to simulate Supreme Court agenda-setting, oral argument, and decision-making. Three of the five are currently enrolled in POL SCI 412, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, where they presented a slideshow of their experiences. They were in line for 12 hours to ensure their spots in the courtroom, coming away with awe for the building, an appreciation for the humanity of the justices and the lawyers, and a little frustration that the lawyers missed some arguments they would have made (or did make, in 417!). What a fantastic experience! Kudos to, from left, Aymen Issa, Josh Boschke, Dan Kafka, Kyle Beesley, and Omar Abu Ali.