Mock appellate panel members sought

During the spring semester, all first-year students at Michigan State University College of Law argue before a mock appellate panel as part of their required legal writing course.

The law school is seeking alumni to serve as judges for the following times:

• Saturday, April 6: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 6: 1 to 5 p.m.

• Monday, April 8: 5:30 to 9:15 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 9: 5:30 to 9:15 p.m.

• Wednesday, April 10: 5:30 to 9:15 p.m.

This year’s problem involves the First Amendment.

The students will argue about whether the trial court properly granted summary judgment to a defendant school district that suspended a plaintiff student on the grounds that the student’s speech was a true threat to another student and that the student’s speech disrupted the school or reasonably could be forecasted to disrupt the school.

No experience in constitutional law is necessary.

Judges will receive additional information including a summary of the relevant law, potential arguments along with some sample questions approximately two weeks before the competition.

Those interested can sign up before Wednesday, March 13, online at law.msu.edu/rwa/judge-rounds.php. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Teresa Cherry at 517.432.6818 or cherryte@msu.edu.