Ohio Third District Court of Appeals to Hold Oral Arguments at ONU Law

ONU’s College of Law has had a longstanding relationship with the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals. ONU has hosted oral arguments for the Third District in the Law College for nearly twenty years. The Third District, which typically holds oral arguments in Lima, Ohio, annually has two cases argued in the Anthony J. Celebreeze Moot Court room on the campus of Ohio Northern. Originally, oral arguments were held to assist the first year legal research and writing students as well as to educate the public on the workings of the Ohio Appellate Court system.

 

Since 2011, the oral arguments held on campus have been in conjunction with the first year Legal Problem Solving and Analysis course held during ONU’s J-Term. Students are given the opportunity to read the appellate briefs for a selected case and are also then given the opportunity to observe the oral arguments . They are then required to write a judicial memorandum on selected issues in the case. Students are also given the opportunity to ask questions of the Judges and the attorneys arguing before the court after the oral arguments are concluded. The Appellate Court’s special session at the College of Law is a part of an educational outreach program to give students, educators, and the public an opportunity to enhance their understanding of the appellate process.