Rare Panel of Judges

Last night Richardson law students had an opportunity to argue in front of a rare panel of judges: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Clifton, Federal District Court Judge David Ezra, and Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald. Before oral arguments began Judge Ezra announced to the moot court team and the audience that "This is the first time in the history of Hawaii that you have three of the highest ranking judges on the same panel: the Ninth Circuit, the federal district court, and the Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice."

Law Students Argue in Front of Justice Alito & Judge Clifton

On January 27th, 2011, law students from the William S. Richardson School of Law's Native American Moot Court team made oral arguments before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Clifton.

In this photo, third year law student Maxwell Kaanohi Kopper represented Judge Chippewa and the Rabbit River Tribe with his co-counsel Keani Alapa. Maxwell described arguing in front of Justice Alito as an event he'll "never forget."


Pictured above from left to right are Maxwell Kopper, Keani Alapa, Justice Samuel Alito, Judge Richard Clifton, Jeannin Russo, and Mark Jensen.

Justice Alito and Judge Clifton also took a photo with the Hawaii Native American Law Students Association chapter.