<div><img style="float: right; padding: 5px;" src="{staticroot}files/resources/scotustripritter600px.jpg" alt="" width="33%" /></div>
<p>When 3L students Brian Rice and Brian Panella enrolled at Delaware Law School they never envisioned their legal education would take them to the U.S. Supreme Court. But it did.</p>
<p>Working through her connections with a professional colleague, Professor Judy Ritter was able to secure a handful of tickets to oral arguments at the court for Tuesday, Oct. 13, when the justices considered <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/montgomery-v-louisiana/"><em>Montgomery v. Louisiana</em></a>. The case, involving juvenile sentencing laws, will have a direct impact on a criminal appeal currently being handled by the school&rsquo;s <a href="ipl://125//W10=">Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic</a>.</p>
<p>Ritter directs the clinic and Panella and Rice are clinic interns. Clinic Supervising Attorney Romie Griesmer joined them on the trip. The group also heard oral arguments in a second case from Florida, involving death penalty sentencing.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They saw two hugely important criminal justice arguments,&rdquo; Ritter said. &ldquo;The fact that our client&rsquo;s future hinges upon the court&rsquo;s decision made the experience especially significant.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Panella and Rice said the trip was unforgettable.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I took it as a once in a lifetime experience,&rdquo; Rice said, noting he was impressed with the attorneys&rsquo; articulation, preparation and solid responses as the justices interrupted them with questions. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re kind of in awe.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Panella said it gave him a new appreciation for the intellect of older justices like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who are sometimes the subject of retirement speculation. &ldquo;When she asks her questions, her mind is as sharp as a tack. You really have to respect that,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>That intellectual firepower was on Panella&rsquo;s mind leading up to the hearing. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in law school,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;re about to see nine of the greatest legal minds in the country.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Griesmer said the group followed the justices&rsquo; questions carefully and the entire experience was even more meaningful because of their connection to the <em>Montgomery</em> case. They went to lunch after the hearing and discussed the arguments. She said the four will be sharing their impressions with the full class of clinic interns.</p>
<p><em>Pictured (from left): 3L Brian Panella, Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic Director and Professor Judy Ritter, Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic Supervising Attorney Romie Griesmer and 3L Brian Rice.</em></p>