Courts in the Community: Through Their Eyes, 0918 COBJ, Vol. 47, No. 8 Pg. 72

• Author: SARAH COLEMAN, J.
• Position: Vol. 47, 8 [Page 72]

47 Colo.Law. 72

Courts in the Community: Through Their Eyes

Vol. 47, No. 8 [Page 72]

The Colorado Lawyer

September, 2018

August, 2018

BAR NEWS HIGHLIGHT

SARAH COLEMAN, J.

Twice a year, Colorado's Supreme Court justices leave the Ralph Carr Judicial Building to hold oral arguments at area high schools as part of the Courts in the Community program. The justices visit one school in the Denver metro area in the fall and one school outside of Denver in the spring. This May, the Court held oral arguments in two cases at the Gunnison High School in Gunnison, Colorado. I watched the arguments, met with the justices, and spoke with students, teachers, and lawyers about their experience with the program. I share their thoughts in this article.

The Judicial Perspective

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch website, Courts in the Community "gives high school students hands-on experience in how the Colorado judicial system operates and illustrates how disputes are resolved in a democratic society."^[1] I asked Justice Brian Boatright, who oversees the program, why the Supreme Court chooses to hold oral arguments in schools. He said, "I call it food for the soul when we get to meet all these great kids." Justice Boatright added that getting to visit other parts of the state and engage students is "energizing for me, and I think for the rest of the Court."

Courts in the Community doesn't just benefit the justices; it also allows students and community members to observe justice in action. As Justice Boatright pointed out, the judicial branch is "really the most anonymous branch of the government." Giving a wider range of people the opportunity to observe real proceedings "demystifies and it depoliticizes what we do" on the Supreme Court. Ultimately, Justice Boatright wants people to see and understand that the Supreme Court and the entire judicial branch is "concerned with people and the system."

Judge Steven Patrick, chief judge of the 7th Judicial District (including Gunnison County), echoed Justice Boatright's enthusiasm for the program:" [I] t is just a great opportunity for the community, and particularly the high school students, to get a better understanding of how the judicial system works and to see that the Colorado Supreme Court justices are real human beings." Judge Patrick also noted the justices' willingness to engage the audience's questions, not only about the...