TUSCALOOSA, AL – The University of Alabama School of Law will host the Alabama Supreme Court for a special session—an oral argument hearing—on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
“The Supreme Court of Alabama is delighted to take our Court proceedings out of Montgomery and to Tuscaloosa this month to show the future lawyers at the University of Alabama School of Law our oral argument hearings in action,” said Chief Justice Tom Parker. “The Preamble of our Alabama Constitution identifies that the first purpose of the Constitution is to ‘establish justice.’ As we seek to establish justice in the cases before our Court, may the students at Alabama Law be educated by seeing our courts in action, and hopefully, also inspired to pursue and walk in the paths of justice in their forthcoming legal careers.”
This special session offers a unique opportunity for Alabama Law students to observe a hearing in front of the highest Court in the State of Alabama.
“All of our students participate in intramural moot court, and several have recently competed in regional and national moot court competitions. These opportunities simulate the experience of arguing before an appellate court,” said Mark E. Brandon, Dean and Thomas E. McMillan Professor of Law. “Now, as students attend this oral argument, they can see the appeals process in action before the Supreme Court of Alabama. We are grateful to Chief Justice Parker, the Associate Justices, and the Court’s staff for bringing this opportunity to Alabama Law for our students.”
The hearing before the Court—Springhill Hospitals, Inc., d/b/a Springhill Memorial Hospital, v. Patricia Bilbrey-West, as Administratrix and Personal Representative of the Estate of John Dewey West, Jr., deceased—concerns the wrongful death of a medical patient. Visit the links below to learn more about the case:
For additional information visit, https://judicial.alabama.gov/appellate/supremecourt. For media inquiries, please contact Josh Bird: jbird@law.ua.edu.
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About The Supreme Court of Alabama
The Supreme Court of Alabama is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. The chief justice is the administrative head of Alabama’s Unified Judicial System. The Supreme Court, the highest state court, has exclusive jurisdiction over all appeals where the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000, and may review intermediate appellate court decisions on a writ of certiorari. The Court also makes rules governing administration, practice, and procedure in all courts.
About The University of Alabama School of Law
For more than 150 years, the University of Alabama School of Law has produced attorneys who become leaders locally, nationally and globally.
Alabama Law provides a top-rate education that results in enviable bar passage and employment rates, all within a supportive and diverse environment. Our low student-to-faculty ratio paired with robust curricular offerings draws students to study under faculty who are skilled teachers as well as leading researchers and scholars.
