November 22, 2019

The University of Illinois College of Law this fall started a new Judicial Opinions Writing seminar for students interested in judicial clerkships. The seminar is being taught by Janice Farrell Pea, who served as senior law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman for 18 years and has been a longtime instructor at the College of Law.

The students have been working on cases that were argued before the Illinois Supreme Court at the September Term. They also wrote bench memos, viewed oral arguments and are now writing draft opinions.

The class has engaged in discussions with recent visits from court personnel, including Mark Palmer, Chief Counsel of the Commission on Professionalism on Oct. 30 and Supreme Court Reporter of Decisions, Jacob Jost on Nov. 6. Appellate Court Justice Robert Steigmann and Federal Public Defender Colleen Ramais also served as featured guest speakers on Nov. 20.

Photo: Attending the Nov. 20 Judicial Opinions Writing seminar were front row (left to right) Colleen Ramais, Appellate Justice Robert J. Steigmann and Professor Janice Pea. Back row (left to right) Joseph Mulhern, Rebecca Ray, Nicholas Shepherd, Brittany Wiegand, Kira Berg, Jordan Russell and Douglas Malcolm.