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Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
in Partnership with
Suffolk University Law School Offers Live Internet Broadcasts of
Court
Proceedings
Boston, MA --- The Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court, in partnership with Suffolk University
Law School, today announced the establishment of a pilot
program to provide attorneys, students, media, and the
general public with live Internet broadcasts of oral arguments
before the Supreme Judicial Court. This is the first time
in Massachusetts that the Supreme Judicial Court and a
law school have collaborated on such a technologically-advanced
venture.
Suffolk
University Law School, which was selected following the
Court's request for proposals, will broadcast the
live arguments from its website beginning in May. The arguments
can be viewed and heard online during the May sitting of
the Supreme Judicial Court at www.suffolk.edu/sjc starting
at 9:00 a.m. on May 2, 3, 5, and 6, 2005. A schedule and
brief summary of the court cases to be broadcast are available
on the website.
Supreme
Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, " I
am delighted that students, attorneys, and citizens everywhere
will now have live access to our appellate proceedings.
People yearn to understand how the judicial system works
and web broadcasts will enable them to witness the live
dialogue between Justices and lawyers on legal matters
affecting everyone's lives. I applaud Suffolk University
Law School for its willingness to partner with the Court
in this new venture."
"Suffolk
University Law School is honored to be in partnership with
the Supreme Judicial Court on this unique and purposeful
program," said Suffolk University Law School Dean Robert
H. Smith. "What intrigues me the most is that people of
all ages and from all walks of life will now have an opportunity
to hear attorneys' presentations and justices' questions
without setting foot in the courtroom. This allows everyone
to experience an important part of the appellate process
firsthand in a timely manner."
The
Supreme Judicial Court, originally called the Superior
Court of Judicature, was established in 1692 and is the
oldest appellate court in continuous existence in the Western
Hemisphere. Massachusetts operates under the oldest, still
functioning written constitution in the world - the Massachusetts
Constitution was adopted by the Legislature in 1780. The
Supreme Judicial Court, the Appeals Court and the Social
Law Library, the nation's oldest law library established
in 1803, are housed in the newly renovated John Adams Courthouse
in Pemberton Square in Boston. The courthouse was dedicated
on March 31, 2005.
Suffolk
University Law School is located in the heart of downtown
Boston just blocks from the Adams Courthouse. For 100 years,
it has remained one of the most respected names in legal
education. Its expansive curriculum - more than 200 upper-level
elective courses, specialty concentrations, joint-degree
programs and an LL.M. in global technology - enables students
to gain a strong academic foundation. A wide range of hands-on
experience, including clinical programs, internships and
moot court competitions, provides students the practical
skills necessary to succeed. Suffolk Law's diverse and
supportive community comes together in Sargent Hall, which
was dedicated in 1999 and is among the country's most inspiring,
modern and technologically advanced settings for the study
of law.
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