She couldn't think of another school that does this.  "Certainly not a high school," the Judge told me.  "Of course, it's a common feature of law school programs, but, to be honest, your high school seniors are better than some of the law school students I've observed."  She was talking about our annual day in court this week when seniors from the Constitutional Law class present arguments in front of panels of actual judges at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. 

This is experiential learning at its finest - a real culmination of many years of preparation and multiple "inputs" at MPA.  But it is a crowning achievement.  And this year, there were 28 seniors participating, the largest group by far.  Chief Justice Edward Toussaint officiates each year, bringing together fellow judges and other legal professionals to make up the five panels that reviewed cases.

Our students selected cases from those that have gone before the US Supreme Court in the past year, such as Indiana v. Edwards over the requirement for photo IDs for voter registration in Indiana.  Or Arizona v. Gant regarding search and seizure guidelines for law enforcement. Students worked in pairs on opposite sides of each case, prepared and submitted written briefs and followed formal procedures in the presentation of arguments before the panels, all of whom had read and considered the written materials.

I've made an effort to get to the court every year for this event and always marvel at the courage these kids show in volunteering to do this.  These judges are not easy on our students, regularly interrupting carefully prepared remarks with questions from all points of the argument.  On a number of occasions, judges would interject a pointed question before our intrepid student "counsel" would get through his or her first sentence.  It can be nerve racking, considering that friends and relatives are on hand to watch the proceedings.

The point of this, of course, is that it is about as authentic a "test" of both knowledge and skill as one can imagine.  Compare the skills required to take a written test on constitutional law, including multiple choice questions and essays, with this exercise.  Ask yourself, would you rather be represented in court by someone who scored highly on a written test, or by the one who successfully applied legal arguments, supported by case law, under the pressure of judicial inquiry? 

Which is not to imply that this is a kind of pre-law course or that its value is limited to preparing students for future careers in law.  In fact, those I talked to afterwards, though thrilled by the experience (and glad it was over), were not particularly headed for legal careers. The skill sets nurtured, practiced and very much on display this week in court are applicable across a wide spectrum of potential future careers. 

Most importantly, as with any authentic challenge, these students emerged with a level of confidence about their ability to master complex and multifaceted legal arguments, to withstand professional scrutiny, and to do so with skill and grace under pressure.  Well done!