LSU Law students Broxton Lance Harvey (from left to right), Kimberly Cook, Angelle Boudreaux, U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Senior Appellate Military Judge Natalie D. Richardson, Hannah Turner, John Arboleda, and Chad Thornton at the reception in the Student Lounge following the hearing the Robinson Courtroom.
The U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals visited the Paul M. Hebert Law Center on Wednesday, March 22, providing the LSU Law community with a unique opportunity to observe oral arguments in the Robinson Courtroom. Six LSU Law students were selected to submit amicus briefs in advance of the hearing, and two of them—third-year students Chad Thornton and Hannah Turner—argued their briefs before the court.
“It was easily one of the top experiences I’ve had at LSU Law,” said Turner, who has been actively involved in internal and external Moot Court Advocacy throughout her time at LSU Law. “This really felt like a level up from my past experiences, because it was my first time making an oral argument before a real court, and it’s something I will never forget.”
Turner argued her brief on behalf of the defendant, while Thornton argued his on behalf of the government.
“Being in the middle of the action really fired me up to start my career as a litigator after graduation,” said Thornton. “The judges didn’t hold back. They definitely tested us during the hearing and asked us some pretty nuanced questions. They insinuated that our briefs did have some sway in the case, and I think that’s testament to the hard work we all put into this. Everyone from LSU Law who was involved should have walked away feeling very proud about how we represented our law school.”
In addition to Thornton and Turner, the four other LSU Law students who were selected to submit amicus briefs prior to the hearing were third-year students John Arboleda, Angelle Boudreaux, Kimberly Cook, and Broxton Lance Harvey. LSU Law Advocacy Fellow Charles Watkins supervised the students’ work as they prepared their briefs and assisted them in the Robinson Courtroom during the hearing on March 22.
“The idea that the United States Air Force would hold its Court of Appeals here at the Law Center was truly an honor. This has never happened before. It was a great opportunity for the Law Center,” said LSU Law Advocacy Fellow Charles Watkins, who supervised the students’ work as they prepared their briefs and assisted in the courtroom during the hearing. “Additionally, the students who wrote the amicus briefs submitted excellent written work. Chad and Hannah acquitted themselves admirably in their oral arguments. This was a day that the Law Center showcased the high caliber of student that it produces.”
Presiding over the court were Senior Appellate Military Judge Natalie D. Richardson, and Appellate Military Judges Eric J. Cadotte and William J. Annexstad. Prior to the hearing, the judges and their support staff members had breakfast with LSU Law students and faculty. A question-and-answer session took place with students in the Robinson Courtroom following the hearing, and a reception was held in the Student Lounge, sponsored by Vinson & Elkins. Other event sponsors are the Geroge and Jean Pugh Institute for Justice and the Preis PLC Professional Practice Professorship.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to visit any law school to hold hearings in a number of years due to the pandemic, and I can’t imagine having had a better host than LSU Law,” Richardson said at the reception as she presented the LSU Law students who submitted amicus briefs with special U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals coins.
Located at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals is an independent appellate judicial body authorized by Congress and established by the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force. It hears and decides appeals of United States Air Force court-martial convictions and appeals pendente lite. Its appellate judges are assigned to the Court by The Judge Advocate General, whom instructs court-martial convening authorities to take action in accordance with the Court’s decisions. The court has previously visited law schools at Georgetown, the University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina, among others, as part of its public outreach program.
Charlton Meginley, a 2002 LSU Law graduate who retired in January a Colonel and Appellate Military Judge on the U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, played a key role in bringing the Court to the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. He began working to bring the court to his alma mater prior to his retirement and visited the Law Center to observe the oral arguments as a spectator.
In addition to the LSU Law community, undergraduate LSU students and other prospective LSU Law students were invited to attend the hearing, as well as students and faculty from the Southern University Law Center. A direct feed of the hearings was shown in the Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
