Last Friday I appeared in court in both Pasadena, California and Boston, Massachusetts.
No jetsetting was involved, the first appearance was by phone. I had filed an appeal on an unemployment claim and Friday was my chance for a hearing before an administrative law judge. Even though it was over the phone I was sworn in before giving testimony and an official transcript was being recorded.
In Civil Procedure one of the first cases we read was Goldberg v. Kelly, a case that emphasized the importance of hearings when public assistance benefits might be denied. One of the aspects we discussed in class in considering their importance was the dignity value one gains by being able to directly participate in the process to preserve their benefits.
I had to miss my Criminal Law class in order to "attend" the hearing, which might seem like a waste given the relatively small amount of money involved, but I think it was worth it. I didn't get run over by the process, I got to participate in it directly. The sense of empowerment I got from the exercise instilled in me a strange sort of high for the rest of the day. I think that high was the dignity.
Dignity was a recurring theme for me throughout that day, a day that ended with a trip to the Federal Courthouse in Boston. The law school had arranged a "Courtroom as a Classroom" session, held in the courtroom for the en banc First Circuit Court of Appeals. A federal magistrate, district judge, bankrupcy judge, and prosecutor presented for about two hours about on what they do, the paths their careers took to get them there, and other particularities about their legal vocations. It was a generous use of their time and enlightening to get some sense of legal life after law school.
Also impressive was the courtroom itself. The entire building in fact is a sight to behold. Relatively new it stands on the water with sweeping vistas of the harbor. The courtroom inspires a sort of revery. Although its modern touches lend the room some sense of comfort, the arrangement of the room with the gallery pews and judicial bench prompts a sense of awe, driven home by the great seal mounted above and behind the bench. A courtroom is a temple, I realized, where we are humbled before, and celebrate, the power of our humanity.
Edit 11/1: Just got notice in the mail, I won my appeal.