Fourth-Year Law Student Will Witherspoon Argued Before Court of Appeals

Will Witherspoon, a fourth-year student who attends Seattle University School of Law, recently had the opportunity to argue in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The student disputed the polices that were put into effect at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, which requires inhabitants to be stripped, searched, and handcuffed before being transferred off the island for medical appointments. According to law.seattleu.edu, "Student argues before Court of Appeals," Will prepared for this case last spring while working with Elise Fandrich and other individuals in the law school’s Civil Rights Amicus Clinic. Will was supported by members of the practicing bar, faculty, and Student Fellow of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality.

Click Here to Find Law Student Jobs on LawCrossing


Another seattleu.edu editorial, "Law Student Argues before Court of Appeals," reports that Will argued in Monte Hoisington v. Robin Williams and was supervised by Korematsu Center Executive Director Bob Chang and Korematsu Center Clinical Teaching Fellow Anjana Malhotra. The article states that Will contended that the strip searches and handcuffing of citizens establishes punitive conditions of captivity and irrational searches and arrests where inhabitants are under relentless guarding while being transported off the island. Will argued that there are less invasive approaches that can be implemented at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

"Student argues before Court of Appeals" discusses that the judges presiding on the hearing were captivated by Will’s arguments. Judge Milan Smith not only praised Will for his performance, but also compared the student to lawyers he hears inside the courtroom.

Click Here to Find Summer Associate Jobs on LawCrossing

According to "Law Student Argues before Court of Appeals," Chang, Korematsu Center Executive Director, was also pleased with Will’s advocacy. He stated, "He did a fantastic job. Will’s great performance is a credit to the superb legal education he received at our law school and to the tremendous help he received from so many of our colleagues and members of the practicing bar who took the time to moot him over the last two months."

According to "Student argues before Court of Appeals," Malhotra, who teaches the law school’s Civil Rights Amicus Clinic, communicated with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last spring to see what cases students at Seattle University School of Law can take up. Since the law school’s Civil Rights Amicus Clinic handles civil rights issues and they are willing to provide legal assistance to pro bono clients in the great state of Washington, Malhotra and Chang thought this was a great opportunity for Will and other students to participate in front of the Ninth Circuit.

"Student argues before Court of Appeals" quoted Malhotra when she said, "This case is significant because, in it, we argue that there are limits on the way that the state can treat individuals held in indefinite civil detention. Because Monte Hoisington has already served his sentence and is civilly detained, he has greater constitutional rights than prisoners."

"Law Student Argues before Court of Appeals," covers Will’s reaction after he argued in front of the Ninth Circuit. The law student is grateful for the support he received from Seattle University School of Law as well as the attorneys and faculty who assisted him in preparing for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. "Law Student Argues before Court of Appeals" quoted Will when he said, "Through their questioning, testing, and brainstorming of the arguments, I've learned what it takes to fully prepare. I'm inspired by the passion for justice that these attorneys bring to their work and am encouraged that I made the right choice to attend SU Law and to someday work alongside such dedicated professionals."

Browse here for latest attorney jobs available nearby your location.

Click Here to View the 2015 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in the Best Law Firms