US Army Court of Criminal Appeals holds oral argument at law school
Widener Law Commonwealth students got a rare opportunity last week to get a close-up look at the military justice system. The moot court classroom was the setting Thursday for a real-life U.S. Army appellate court hearing.
A three-judge panel for the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals held oral argument in the case of U.S. v. Holmes, a court-martial conviction appeal of a serviceman for failing to obey a lawful regulation and maiming.
“This is a great service that the court has provided to the law school,” said Christian A. Johnson, dean of Widener Law Commonwealth. “The ability to host this proceeding offered our Widener community a first-hand look at the military justice system and the operations of the highly-respected Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.”
Johnson said this first-ever military court hearing on the Widener Law Commonwealth campus dovetails with school’s broader veterans’ initiative, which aims at supporting students who have served in the military.
The judges and attorneys spent 30 minutes after the hearing taking questions from students, where they explained military court procedures and offered guidance on a range of topics, including developing arguments and preparing briefs.
“It’s very different from a classroom experience,” said Johnson. “It could be transformative for students.”
Indeed, it may have been for third-year student Johnny Holland, of Silver Spring, Md., who said he was so impressed by the proceeding he is considering exploring a career in military law.
“The reality is, never in 100 years would I expect to see an Army Court of Appeal argument,” said Holland. “It piqued a lot of interest.”
The U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals is the Army’s highest court and traces its lineage to 1920. The argument in the Holmes case is part of the Court’s “Project Outreach,” which allows law schools an inside look at the process of actual military justice.