Nebraska Court of Appeals to convene at College of Saint Mary

OMAHA, Neb. – The Nebraska Court of Appeals will convene at College of Saint Mary (CSM) on Constitution Day, September 17.  

“College of Saint Mary is fortunate the Court of Appeals will provide an experience that college and high school students would not typically have. Our students are eager to learn more about the judicial system and have an opportunity to get insight from the judges at the end of each session,” said Susanne Miller, legal studies program director.  

CSM students, including those from the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies program, and local high school students will attend the event. The court sessions are also open to the public. 

The Court of Appeals will divide into two panels with three judges each to hear legal arguments at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. An open question-and-answer session with the judges will follow each session. Students will be given detailed descriptions of each case to help them follow the legal arguments. 

The Court of Appeals College Campus Initiative, which began in 2012, provides community outreach and education about the judicial branch to young people by bringing the court’s oral arguments to college campuses. 

“It gives us an opportunity to interact with the public, which we don’t always get the chance to do,” Chief Judge Francie Riedmann said. “Students are our future, so to be able to interact with them is rewarding.” 

The Court of Appeals of Nebraska is the state’s second-highest court and reviews appeals from state trial court decisions. The six judges on the Court of Appeals hear nearly 1,000 cases each year. A decision of the Nebraska Court of Appeals is final unless granted further review by the Nebraska Supreme Court. 

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, recognizes the contributions of the founders of the country and honors U.S. citizens. 

“Going to college campuses has become more important given the public’s impression of the judiciary system,” said Riedmann. “It creates an awareness, and it gives us an opportunity to reach out to our community.” 

The sessions will be in the Gross Auditorium in Hill Macaluso Hall at CSM at 7000 Mercy Rd.  

View the case summaries and briefs for the oral arguments that will be heard at CSM.