We walked up marble staircases, under red drapes and through crowds of people before taking our seats on the wooden benches. I had seen pictures of the Supreme Court before, but being there for the first time was completely different.
After the conclusion of this year’s Case Day, I got the chance—along with about twenty other students—to attend the oral arguments at the Supreme Court. This year, the senior class examined the cases Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs to explore whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison without the possibility of parole is cruel and unusual punishment.
The day after our Case Day ended, we had the honor of seeing the cases argued in front of the Court. We got to Langley early that morning before driving to the West Falls Church metro station, where we took the train down to D.C. and walked to the Supreme Court building. After passing through security, we split into two groups—one for each case. I was with the first group, which would be seeing Miller v. Alabama.
Marble columns lined the sides of the courtroom, and the high ceiling was intricately engraved with geometric patterns of red, white and blue. Red curtains with gold tassels were hung on all sides, and the only light came from the large glass windows and dim bulbs placed high on the ceiling. The audience was seated in the rows of wooden benches that sit on the carpeted floor, also red.
After we took our seats, we waited for the nine justices to enter. When they filed in one-by-one, the audience rose as they took their seats at the raised bench. It was silent as Chief Justice Roberts introduced the cases.
The entire process took just over an hour, as each side wass allowed thirty minutes to argue. I was amazed by how calm and collected the attorneys were—for both the petitioner and the respondent. The justices asked pointed questions; many, in fact, were similar to the ones that our justices asked at Langley Case Day.
After the conclusion of the arguments, we had the honor of speaking with the honorable Justice Antonin Scalia for about forty minutes. We had the chance to ask him various questions about serving on the Court and some of the cases that he has heard in the past. He was friendly and engaging, and it was an honor to have an audience with such an influential and respected figure.
Attending the oral arguments and meeting with Justice Scalia were just a few of the many opportunities that Case Day gave me. This experience has taught me a lot—not just about the justice system, but about myself. I have realized that I want to explore fields like law and political science, areas that I have had limited exposure to in the past. I realized that motivation and positive feedback really are the keys to success. It was so rewarding to see everyone supporting each other throughout this entire process, and congratulating each other once it was over.
I definitely encourage everyone to get involved with Case Day in the future as much as they can. If you like business and fundraising, join the finance committee. If you like arguing and thinking on your feet, try out for counsel. If you’re good at planning and communication, help out with interest groups. There is literally a place for everyone in this project, and I think that’s what makes it so unifying and so meaningful.