Watch: Law Students on Why the Courtroom is the Best Classroom 

From lecture halls to study groups to law journals to summer employment, law students have access to a variety of learning and practice environments to prepare for their careers. But there is one setting unique to law school that tends to capture the hearts and minds of future attorneys: the courtroom.

“When I came to Arizona Law, I absolutely fell in love with litigation,” says 3L Clarissa Todd, a member of University of Arizona Law’s Barry Davis Trial Team and a competitor in the Jenckes Closing Argument Competition. “Being in the courtroom forces you to analyze and apply the law in a manner that you don’t necessarily get with other activities. It’s honestly really thrilling. It has changed what I want to do with my life; I actually want to litigate now because of my experiences here.” 

Fellow 3L Sean Aiken agrees that appearing in court—whether in a trial competition or working with law school clinic clients—is “a thrill unlike anything else.” 

Adds Aiken, “The process of telling the right story for your client in a way that articulates their position, for me makes every single case that I read in a textbook more vibrant.” 

Working in the courtroom as a student also prepares you for the job market in a way that few other experiences can match, says Vince Redhouse (‘21), a participant in the Fegtly Moot Court Competition, ABA National Moot Court Competition, and National Native American Law Student Association Moot Court Competition. 

“The best compliment I received from my employer [before graduation] was, ‘You’re ready to practice’ and a lot of that comes from the training I’ve received at the university, especially all the advocacy programs I’ve done,” says Redhouse, who is now the 2021-22 Indian Law Fellow at Berkey Williams LLP.