<p>Widener Law Commonwealth students got a rare opportunity last week to get a close-up look at the military justice system. The moot court classroom was the setting Thursday for a real-life U.S. Army appellate court hearing.</p>
<p>A three-judge panel for the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals held oral argument in the case of <u>U.S. v. Holmes</u>, a court-martial conviction appeal of a serviceman for failing to obey a lawful regulation and maiming.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is a great service that the court has provided to the law school,&rdquo; said Christian A. Johnson, dean of Widener Law Commonwealth. &ldquo;The ability to host this proceeding offered our Widener community a first-hand look at the military justice system and the operations of the highly-respected Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Johnson said this first-ever military court hearing on the Widener Law Commonwealth campus dovetails with school&rsquo;s broader veterans&rsquo; initiative, which aims at supporting students who have served in the military.</p>
<p>The judges and attorneys spent 30 minutes after the hearing taking questions from students, where they explained military court procedures and offered guidance on a range of topics, including developing arguments and preparing briefs.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very different from a classroom experience,&rdquo; said Johnson. &ldquo;It could be transformative for students.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Indeed, it may have been for third-year student Johnny Holland, of Silver Spring, Md., who said he was so impressed by the proceeding he is considering exploring a career in military law.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The reality is, never in 100 years would I expect to see an Army Court of Appeal argument,&rdquo; said Holland. &ldquo;It piqued a lot of interest.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals is the Army&rsquo;s highest court and traces its lineage to 1920. The argument in the Holmes case is part of the Court&rsquo;s &ldquo;Project Outreach,&rdquo; which allows law schools an inside look at the process of actual military justice.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157712805616167/with/49431520666/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View the photos from this event on Flickr.</a></strong></p>