Second-year law student Maureen Orth aspires to be a
litigator, and just halfway through law school, she’s well on her way.
“While you learn a lot in your first year, there’s a lot
that you don’t understand until you’ve actually seen it,” Orth said. “Getting
to be in the courtroom and getting to see different proceedings has really
helped flesh out my academic coursework and understand how it all fits
together.”
Through KU Law’s Judicial Clinic, Orth works with Chief
Magistrate Judge James P. O’Hara of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Kansas, a 14-year veteran of the bench with private practice experience. Her
duties include observing proceedings, writing orders, reading motions and getting
feedback from the judge and his clerks.
“You have unique access to judges at the state and federal
level, and equally exciting, you have access to his or her clerks,” Orth said. “I’m
getting feedback on my writing from those same people who are researching and
writing for the judge. That is an invaluable experience to get in law school.”
The clinic serves as a sort of living laboratory, with Orth
learning case law in class one day, then witnessing how those legal concepts play
out in the courtroom the next. She recalls taking Criminal Procedure as she was
observing criminal proceedings in the courtroom, seeing how search warrants
were used and how special agents and U.S. attorneys presented testimony. This
semester Orth is taking Evidence and witnessing firsthand how parties enter
evidence at motion hearings.
“I can see the benefits of being prepared versus using
boilerplate objections,” Orth said. “I can see how what I’m learning will be
applicable in the future.”
Beyond the technical aspects, Orth has been welcomed into
the Kansas City legal community, learning each judge’s stylistic conventions
and building a valuable professional network.
“As someone who does not have anyone in their family who
practices law, a lot of the proceedings were unfamiliar,” Orth said. “I’m
hoping to practice in the Kansas City area, so familiarity with how the
courthouse works is helpful.”
Her courthouse colleagues have offered Orth everything from
research and writing tips, to input on career opportunities and advice on which
classes to take. The Judicial Clinic also offers a welcome departure from time the
classroom, providing a glimpse of life after law school. “Sometimes in law
school it can feel like you’re on pause because a lot of people our age are
working already,” Orth said. “To get up and go to work feels all the more
closer to being a worki
ng professional. You’re working on court orders and
doing research that affects someone’s actual case, as opposed to the
hypotheticals in class. It puts things in perspective.”
Ultimately, the clinic offers students the hands-on
experience employers are seeking in addition to an understanding of theory and
case law. “There are few things more valuable that KU offers than the clinic
experience,” Orth said. “Law is so interesting from a theoretical standpoint,
but until you actually see how it plays out in court, you don’t understand how
it all comes together.”
- Maureen Orth is a second-year law student from Prairie Village, Kan.