Jury Trial Win for Washburn Law Clinic Students
"Washburn Law provided me as a law student the rare opportunity to take a case from inception to jury trial," said Jordan Wills. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have the experience."
"I felt prepared for anything with my training in the Washburn Law Clinic," said Jennifer Amyx. The client was faced with a new charge only 48 hours before the trial. The students’ training in the Clinic prepared them to deal with this new charge.
It is uncommon for Law Clinic interns to have a jury trial, but in the Spring semester of 2009 Washburn clinic interns, Jennifer Amyx and Jordan Wills, not only had their first all day jury trial but were successful obtaining an acquittal for their client in Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Court. The jury acquitted the client on both misdemeanor counts — criminal trespassing and obstruction of government function.
Just as in state courts, each tribal court has its own laws and court practice procedures. Most tribal courts have only limited published cases and sometimes no case law on a particular issue at all. This can be both challenging and an opportunity for the tribal court practitioner to be very creative.
Washburn Law Clinic has been practicing in the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Kickapoo Nation Tribal Courts since 2004 when Professor Aliza Organick began teaching in the Washburn Law Clinic. The Clinic currently handles two or three cases in the Kansas tribal courts each semester. Professor John Francis also finds tribal court practice a great learning environment for Washburn Clinic students and practices there as well. Tribal court practice provides students an opportunity to represent clients with complex legal issues in jurisdictions other than state or municipal courts. "Both tribal courts are very supportive of student practice and of Washburn’s clinical program," said Organick.
"The presiding judge, Stacy Leeds (also Professor Leeds at KU Law) was impressed with our students," said Professor Aliza Organick. "Jennifer and Jordan did a tremendous job, worked very hard and deserve a huge pat on the back."
"The students were successful because they got their client’s story told," said Organick. "The jury was back with a verdict in only 45 minutes — not guilty on both counts. This can be attributed to all the hard work Jennifer and Jordan did as they developed their case as well as their excellent trial skills."
