Mercer University School of Law hosted the Third Division of the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia in the Bell Jones Courtroom on Sept. 9 as the court continues its mission of community outreach with offsite oral arguments.
Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard was joined by fellow panel members Vice Chief Judge Elizabeth Gobeil and Judge Trea Pipkin.
The panel heard three oral arguments during the session. In the first case, the court considered whether a plaintiff’s negligence action is barred by the exclusive remedy provision of Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The second case raised the question of whether a trial court properly instructed the jury regarding an allegation of speeding. The judges then heard a criminal case involving Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Following the arguments, the panel answered students’ questions on a range of topics, including judicial clerkships and navigating law school.
This event was open to the public and attended by local members of the bar, Mercer students and professors, and others.
“My colleagues and I recognize the immense significance and benefit of making the judiciary more accessible to the citizens of Georgia,” Dillard said. “Holding oral arguments beyond our courtroom gives us an important opportunity to bring the appellate process directly to the communities we serve. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the students later in the afternoon. The court thanks Dean Karen Sneddon and the Mercer Law community for their warm welcome. I look forward to our court returning to Mercer Law in the near future.”
Sneddon, J.D., said, “Mercer Law is always honored to welcome the Georgia Court of Appeals and distinguished judges to our campus. Having the opportunity to host oral arguments in the Bell Jones Courtroom underscores the vital connection between legal education and the practice of law, while giving our students a firsthand view of the appellate process at work. These hearings provide an extraordinary learning experience, allowing students to observe skilled advocates and judges engage with important legal questions and see how the principles they study in the classroom are applied in real cases. We are grateful to Presiding Judge Dillard, Vice Chief Judge Gobeil, Judge Pipkin and the court for bringing the appellate process to our students and the broader Mercer community. Experiences like this strengthen our students’ legal education and inspire the next generation of Georgia lawyers to understand and appreciate the important role of the judiciary.”
The Court of Appeals is Georgia’s intermediate appellate court, with 15 judges who serve in panels of three. Oral arguments are not heard in all cases. The parties must ask to be heard, and the court only grants about one-third of the requests.
Briefs of the cases can be found at gaappeals.gov.
