Supreme Court hears cases in Lewisburg
 as part of the 2009 LAWS program

LEWISBURG, W.Va. – The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia heard four cases at the Greenbrier County Courthouse in Lewisburg yesterday in front of about three hundred high school students from Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Monroe Counties.

The students watched the Court in action as part of LAWS, an acronym for Legal Advancement for West Virginia Students. LAWS is a partnership between the court system, schools, the Bar and the community. LAWS teaches students about the judicial branch of government.

Supreme Court Justice Robin Jean Davis developed the LAWS program in 1998. The following year, the first LAWS was held at the Raleigh County Courthouse in Beckley. Given the program’s success, the Court decided to hold LAWS in a different community each year. Other sites include Clarksburg, Huntington, Wheeling, Summersville, Martinsburg, Parkersburg, Charleston, Romney and Princeton.

Yesterday in Lewisburg, Justice Davis told students during the lunch break that she hoped they enjoyed the program as much as the Court did.

"As you see there are three male members and two female members of the Court. We are looking for that third female member of the Court and maybe she’s out there," Davis said, pointing to the students.

Students from Greenbrier East High School, Greenbrier West High School, Pocahontas County High School, and James Monroe High School attended yesterday’s oral arguments. Before the arguments, students had met with volunteer attorneys and studied the case they would be hearing.

James Monroe Junior Brian Carter said he liked meeting with the lawyers and hearing about the laws involved in the case he heard yesterday.

"It is actually surprising the things you find out that you didn’t know about in law."

The students’ teachers also attended a training session earlier in the year with Supreme Court personnel and Judge James J. Rowe, Judge Joseph Pomponio, and Judge Robert A. Irons, where they received information about the court system as well as summaries of the cases.

Rebecca Loudermilk, a senior from Greenbrier West, said "it was interesting to hear the points each side made."

Whitney Groves, also a senior from Greenbrier West, said the program was informative and she was able to understand what was going on.

"I thought it was as interesting as it seems watching it on TV."

Chief Justice Brent Benjamin thanked everyone involved in the LAWS program, especially the Greenbrier County Judges, Greenbrier County Bar Association, Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department and Greenbrier East High School, which hosted the students for lunch.

"Thanks for your hospitality and thanks for having us," said Chief Justice Benjamin. "It is a special treat to come out on LAWS Day and see students from across the state."

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