Court Observation Assignment
Summary: Students will observe a judicial proceeding and write a short (1-3 page)
paper summarizing their observations and analyzing how the events at the
proceeding relate to a concept (or concepts) we cover in our course.
Instructions: Students may attend a judicial proceeding in the court of their choice
(Superior Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, Federal District Court, State or
Federal Appellate Court, Tax Court, Bankruptcy Court, Traffic Court, Drug Court,
etc.). The dockets and court calendar for many courts can be found on the court’s
website. For example, the Docket/Calendar for Carroll County Superior Court is
posted a week in advance here: http://www.carrollcountyclerk.com/calendars.html
and the proceedings begin at 9 AM. In addition, criminal preliminary hearings in
Carroll County are held on the first Friday of the month at 8 AM at the Carroll
County Jail. Whenever possible, students should be at the courtroom and ready to
begin observation at the time the proceeding begins. If you are doing an afternoon
observation in Superior Court, you may begin your observation after the lunch
recess (typically 1 PM or shortly thereafter). Keep in mind that courts recess at
good stopping points, not on a fixed schedule, so the lunch recess may be earlier or
later than the noon hour. Do NOT go into the courtroom in the middle of a
proceeding. If you arrive at court after the morning proceedings have begun or after
the lunch recess has ended, you will need to wait until a break to enter the
courtroom. There typically is a 5 minute break about every hour to hour and a half.
Once you enter the courtroom, do not leave until the next break (this may be an
hour or two later).
Make a note of the case name and number, the date and time of your observation
(including how long you stayed), the name of the judge, parties, and attorneys (if
you catch them), and a list of the issues to be addressed that day (e.g., summary
judgment motion, voir dire of prospective jurors, status conference, motion to
dismiss, direct examination of witness, cross-examination of witnesses, motions in
limine outside the presence of the jury, etc.). Also, pay attention to the demeanor of
the attorneys in the courtroom. Are they respectful/deferential to the judge? Are
they argumentative? Do they have different styles (forceful, laid back, cordial,
aggressive, etc.)? Take notes throughout the proceeding to use in drafting your
paper later. Your notes will be turned in as part of your assignment submission.
Once you return home, review your notes/textbook on the concepts addressed in
the court proceeding and write your paper discussing how what you observed
relates to the concepts in our course, how your observation improved your
understanding of those concepts, and anything remarkable that struck you as
interesting or something you learned that you did not know beforehand.
Logistics of Courtroom Observations:
If you will be observing in Superior Court or a court in a relatively large jurisdiction,
please refer to the online calendar or, if one is not available, call the Clerk of Court to
determine what types of cases are being heard on the day you plan to attend court.
The following types of cases are NOT suitable for observations without advance
approval from the professor: domestic violence actions, child custody disputes,
child support disputes, legitimation hearings, adoptions, child name change
proceedings, or other sensitive litigation involving families and especially children.
Those types of proceedings are deserving of privacy, and they do not tend to relate
to business law anyway.
NOTE: If for some reason you strongly desire to view one of these types of
proceedings, you can see me and make your request far enough in advance for me to
contact the attorneys and see if they would mind having a student observe the
proceeding. I will not accept submissions for observations in these proceedings
unless you have received express permission in advance from me to attend.
General Note: Normally, the only people who attend court proceedings are the
parties, their family members, witnesses that will be called to testify, and the
parties’ attorneys. It is not customary to have strangers or visitors in the
courtroom, so the judge and attorneys may be a bit surprised that you are there.
In addition, in most trials or hearings involving witnesses, the attorneys will invoke
the Dzrule of sequestration,dz which prevents witnesses from remaining in the
courtroom during the hearing or trial. If the Dzruledz is invoked, all witnesses will be
ordered by the judge to leave the courtroom. What this means is that you will
probably be the only person left in the courtroom. If this happens, the judge or
attorneys will almost certainly ask you who you are and why you are still in the
courtroom. You should respectfully state that you are a student at University
of West Georgia and are there to observe a judicial proceeding as part of your
business law course. Ask them if it is ok for you to remain in the courtroom to
quietly observe the proceedings. The judge will more than likely tell you that it is
fine for you to stay. The judge and attorneys will probably be genuinely happy
(maybe even a little flattered) that you have chosen to observe them. In rare
instances, the proceeding may be closed to the public. In that case, they might ask
you to leave. This is not usual, and I do not think you will have any problems
remaining in the courtroom to observe. If this does happen to you, let me know, and
we will discuss how you will receive credit on the assignment.
BUSA 2106 Observation Form for Court Proceedings
Student’s Name:_______________________________________
Date of Observation:__________________________________
Venue and Court: ______________________________________
Name of Case: __________________________________________
Presiding Judge: _______________________________________
Attorney (Plaintiff/Petitioner):_______________________
Attorney (Defendant/Respondent):__________________
Type of Proceeding:____________________________________
Brief Description of Case:________________________________________________________________________
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Student Notes from the Proceeding:____________________________________________________________
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