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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
PAD Goes to Court; NSU Law Students shadow local Judges and Cases
During the week of Mar. 26-30, the Fleming Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity (“P.A.D.”), hosted a new and exciting event at the Broward County Courthouse entitled “P.A.D. Goes to Court.” For this event, students at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center signed up for varying times and days to sit in an actual courtroom or judge’s chambers and observe them in action.
“P.A.D. Goes to Court” is a revival and expansion of an event P.A.D. previously hosted entitled, “A Day with a Judge.” While “A Day with a Judge” was beneficial, P.A.D. stepped it up and encouraged students to attend court proceedings more than once and with more than one judge during an entire week. This would give all participating students the opportunity to see different types of law practiced and with different outcomes.
This year, more than twenty judges and thirty law students participated in the event. The judges came from different divisions such as family law, civil, criminal and probate. On Monday, Mar. 26, a group of students were given the honor of meeting Broward County Chief Judge Weinstein who explained the history of the courthouse and offered information relative to the bar exam.
Students returned excited to share their experiences shadowing a judge. For example, students observed jury voir doirs (a legal phrase that refers to an oath to tell the truth), pre-trial hearings and trials ranging from personal injuries to grand theft. Not only did judges generously share with students lessons about their courtroom experiences, but many students also had the invaluable opportunity to discuss trial strategies with other attorneys.
The Fleming Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta hopes that this event will become a tradition at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center and will aim to make it better each year. It is not only the goal of Phi Alpha Delta but the entire law center that all students gain a well-rounded legal education and make the most of the time that they spend at NSU — in and out of the classroom.