First established in 1992, Case Day takes a closer look at the inner workings of America’s judicial system. For those interested in law, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
With big name guest appearances like Barbara Comstock, Kenneth Starr and Antonin Scalia, combined with the televised recordings of the trial, Seniors like Bill Miner are excited to take part in something of this magnitude.
“I’m very honored to have the opportunity to do it,” Miner said, “It provides an incredible experience outside the classroom that not many other high-schoolers experience,”
Tryouts for a position in the student participants were rigorous, with presentation and arduous research on the case being presented to a panel of judges. Students would then be selected based on merit and commitment. “You went in there with whatever research you did being as prepared as possible. What’s done was done,” Will Miner commented.
Indeed, the overseer of this pristine project, Alison Cohen, believes this to be a stunning chance for students to explore their interests. “I think that this provides unique opportunities for students to observe and participate in the inner workings of a normally closed-to the public experience.” Cohen said. “The case this year promises to be an interesting one; we are debating the Riley versus California case. It’s centering around privacy concerns in smart phones; I mean, teenagers rely on their smartphones as an essential tool for completing the day. And on the other hand of the spectrum, are a bunch of older supreme court officials who aren’t as caught up on the smartphones of today. This debate will intrigue students and aid their interest in the American justice system.”
The student-run event is set to take place April 8, with Langley’s community preparing for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
“We’ve always had a really good turnout and I’m excited for this year’s case day. This promises to be an excellent event and I’m sure that students will love this opportunity,” said Cohen.
“[Case Day] is not only important to the Langley community, but the teenage community as a whole because getting involved, even if just spectating, allows a student to be active in a decision that will ultimately affect their individual rights,”, said Sam Houmaoui, AP Gov Student and co-coordinator of this year’s Case Day, along with Amelia Sugianto.