Upper School Students Visit U.S. Court House

Students in Dr. Biss's Constitutional Law elective visited the U.S. Court House where they met with the Honorable Judge Gene Pratter (P '94, Trustee) (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PA), the Honorable Judge Cheryl Krause (P '31) (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit), Ms. Katayoun Copeland '85 (Chief of Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice), Ms. Elizabeth Toplin '84 (Assistant Chief of the Trial Unit, Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of PA) and FBI Agent Jennifer Zenszer. This amazing array of legal professionals shared behind-the-scenes observations of the justice system, their experiences as women in high pressure careers and how Baldwin prepared them for success. Judge Pratter's law clerks shared the types of constitutional issues that made it to the docket in the past year's term. Students then toured Judge Pratter's courtroom, (including the witness holding cell) observed a civil trial in progress and sat in on a hotly debated trial conducted by elementary school students in Judge Krause's courtroom.