FIRST PLACE
One Night in Baghdad
The Ben S. Wendelken American Inn of Court; Colorado Springs, CO
The presentation is a hearing before an investigating judge in a Baghdad criminal court. The defendant is accused by Coalition forces of being a terrorist. The hearing is procedurally and culturally accurate. The hearing is preceded by a presentation giving an overview of the Inquisitorial Continental System, and followed by a discussion of various legal and cultural issues. The program was prompted by the personal experience of David Shakes who served a one year tour of duty in Iraq as the Rule of Law Officer attached to the State Department.
SECOND PLACE
Scamalot-Lawyers Gone Wild, The Musical
The Earl Warren American Inn of Court of Oakland, CA
Adapted from the Broadway musical "Spamalot", this program addressed various ethical questions concerning attorneys and information that they may distribute prior to a court appearance. Specific court cases referenced in the program included the case of the Duke lacrosse players, the tobacco litigation, and the scandal of corporate stock options. The three-act skit was followed by a discussion with the audience.
THIRD PLACE
LOST: What Motivates Us to Lose Our Way? With Greater Understanding and Empathy, Can Our Profession Offer Better Support to Keep Us on the Proper Path?
The Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court of Sacramento, CA
Based on the ABC television series "Lost", this program began with a group of judges and lawyers boarding a plane to attend a legal conference in Hawaii. The plane crashes on an uncharted island, and as the judges and lawyers construct a society on the island, they are forced to evaluate their prior behavior back on the mainland. This program, divided into three acts, explored whether the concept of civility and provided important information to judges and lawyers by highlighting services that are already available to assist professionals in need.
OUTSTANDING PROGRAM DISTINCTION
Programs are listed in alphabetical order
Inside the Lawyer’s Studio: Learning from Each Other
The Earl Warren American Inn of Court of Oakland, CA
The premise of this program is that much of what is learned about practicing law or judging, is learned from each other through shared stories about experience. Each Inn member was asked to submit, in writing, an experience that they felt was particularly significant. From the experiences submitted, eight were selected and those authors were interviewed on the night of the program. The interviews were formatted along the lines of the television series "Inside the Actor's Studio" and not scripted to encourage spontaneity.
Legal Issues in “The Office”
The Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court of Oklahoma City, OK
Using video clips from the television show "The Office", this program addressed four legal issues in the workplace. The first issue was the related topics of sexual harassment, office romance and a hostile work environment. The second issue was the case of a work injury. The third issue was drug testing in the work place. The forth issue was electronic surveillance. The program included PowerPoint slides that provided case law summaries and relevant statutes.
The Final Journey: A Retrospect Into the Life and Times of Max Balance and His Desire to Balance His Professional and Personal Life
The Joseph A. Ball/Clarence S. Hunt American Inn of Court of Long Beach, CA
This program is about balancing one's personal and professional life. Based loosely on the concept of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", the program began with a scene of an old lawyer, Max Balance, near the end of his life. A spirit helps Max review scenes in his life, scenes which addressed unfair business confidentiality, concealing evidence, and balancing the professional and the personal. The pupillage team members engaged the audience in a question and answer period between each scene.
The Good, the Bad, and the Lawyer
The Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court of Oklahoma City, OK
This program was divided into three segments, each of which involved The Angel and The Devil offering to guide a young lawyer through ethical dilemmas. The first segment was about the right and wrong way to select a jury. The second segment was about cross-examination, and adapted from the film "Inherit the Wind'. The third segment was about witness preparation, and was taken from scenes in the television show "The Practice".
The Internet: The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly
The Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court of Houston, TX
This program focused on the benefits of the Internet in legal practice, but also on the problems the Internet can bring to a workplace. The program also addressed the growing issue of Internet crimes. As part of the program setup, the pupillage group devised a menu that picked up on the local rodeo them but also used Internet lingo, including sausage 'links' and 'internet' cookies. The program itself had four segments: the Internet as an investigative tool, the Internet in the Workplace, the Internet and your case, and Internet crimes.
The Plattsmier Awards
The American Inn of Court of Acadiana of Lafayette, LA
This program was cast in the format of a Hollywood Awards show and feature video commericals showcasing the 'best of the worst' of lawyer advertising. Pupillage team members produced their own lawyer television commericals and used various props and costumes to enhance the Hollywood theme. After each commercial, the team members discussed the current and proposed ethical rules associated with the specific advertisement and then commented upon the civility and professionalism issues.
The Man in Black: Representing the Reprehensible
The American Inn of Court of Acadiana of Lafayette, LA
In this program, "the man in black" refers not to Johnny Cash, but a client who is considered reprehensible to many in mainstream society. The reprehensible client is a professional wrestler accused of orchestrating an illegal dog fighting enterprise. The skits explore various ethical issues that confront the two lawyers successively appointed to represent the client. Woven throughout the program are parodies of Johnny Cash songs performed by team members.
You Be the Legal Ethicist: Drawing Lines in Areas of Ethical Ambiguity
The New York American Inn of Court of New York, NY
This program featured a panel discussion, interspersed with multiple choice questions and fact scenarios posed to the audience. Audience members were encourages to discuss their answers to the ethical problems and hypotheticals that were posed. At the end of each round of questions, the results of the audience responses were tallied and compared with the correct answers.