King Hall Hosts Ninth Circuit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held oral arguments in the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom on March 15, marking the first time a federal appeals court held a sitting in King Hall.
Law School faculty, students, and staff crowded into the Kalmanovitz Courtroom to observe as Circuit Judges William A. Fletcher and Milan D. Smith, Jr., and United States District Judge George H. Wu, sitting by designation, heard arguments in cases involving immigration, asylum, water law, and state law matters. Many more students, staff, and faculty viewed the proceedings on video screens around King Hall.
Following the oral arguments and a brief recess, the judges participated in a question-and-answer session with students, speaking on differences in procedure between the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit, the increased number of immigration cases on the Ninth Circuit docket, and best practices for oral arguments and briefs.
"Don't run from the tough questions; run to them," Judge Smith said regarding briefing and oral argument, advising students to directly address whatever weaknesses there may be in their cases. "If you have an issue and you think you have an answer for it-or even if you don't, and you're conceding that-go right to it, and address it. That always impresses the Court."
In writing briefs, Judge Fletcher advocated for clarity and writing that is "as simple as possible, consistent with the complexity of the material." He noted that appellate judges are generalists, and "sometimes, if it's a specialized area of law, your job in the first part of your brief is to be a teacher."
The session, which took place on the same day as the release of the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of American Bar Association-approved law schools, drew media coverage from the Sacramento Bee and the Davis Enterprise, both of which mentioned King Hall's rise to No. 23 in the rankings and included comments from Dean Kevin R. Johnson.