On Oct. 18, the Massachusetts Appellate Court discussed legal cases of tried individuals at the University of Massachusetts Campus Center Ballroom. Attending were UMass Boston students, faculty and staff, and community members throughout the Greater Boston area. The court was presided over by Justices Cynthia Cohen, William Meade, and Mary Sullivan.
Court cases on the docket for the day consisted of three criminal cases and three civil cases. The criminal cases were Commonwealth v. Wallace, Commonwealth v. Muir, and Commonwealth v. Sarantakis. The civil cases consisted of Peirce v. Intech, Inc., Grey v. Grey, and Jones v. Bank of New York. 
Having the court hold its proceedings on campus was a great opportunity for UMass students and the public to easily view the cases in the appellate form. Even though court cases are often open to public audience, Justice Cohen stated, “By bringing the court to the campus, our audience is able to have more convenient access to the proceedings, and students have the ability to learn what goes on during an appellate case. It’s a delightful way to unveil what we do on a day to day basis when hearing oral arguments.”
Students had the chance to learn about the responsibilities of the justices and to ask law clerks about the obstacles they faced when trying to earn their position on an appellate bench. Students were also able to mingle with practicing attorneys and retired state judges who were among the crowd as well.
Political Science Professor Elizabeth Busiere, who specializes in teaching constitutional law, remarked, “It was great seeing the law in action by witnessing the cases being argued. The variety of cases kept the audience intrigued, and next year, there is possible discussion to have the types of cases alternate so audience members, who can only attend during a specific time, will have the best available opportunity to view a variety of cases being tried.”
Fakisha Fabre, an accomplished student of the University Honors Program who serves as a Beacon Student Ambassador and as a College of Liberal Arts First! Peer Mentor, also enjoyed the proceedings. Fabre said, “It was great seeing the judges perform their duties right in front of me. I’ve always been interested in pursuing law school in the future, and seeing the profession in action was nothing short of inspiring.”