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On April 3, 2019, the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals convened an official court session at the University of Dayton School of Law as part of the court’s educational outreach efforts. Judges Mary E. Donovan, Michael T. Hall, and Michael L. Tucker heard arguments in two appellate cases before a crowd of law students, many of whom were first-year students preparing for their own upcoming mock arguments. During the two half-hour sessions, students observed seasoned appellate attorneys present their best legal arguments while answering numerous questions from the three-judge panel.
Following the formal court session, Assistant Dean & Professor of Lawyering Skills, Victoria VanZandt, moderated students’ questions to the judges. Their conversation touched on topics including effective argument styles, the court’s decision-making process, and career paths in the legal profession. The judges’ interaction with the students was highlighted by the fact that each of them is a graduate of the law school: Judge Donovan (’77), Judge Hall (’79), and Judge Tucker (’80). “It’s always great to come back to the UDSL. By bringing the court process into the community, we hope to promote a better understanding of Ohio’s judicial system and the appellate court’s role in that system,” Judge Tucker said.
The Second District Court of Appeals is one of Ohio’s twelve intermediate-level appellate courts. It is made up of five judges who hear appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts from Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery counties.