Rudman Summer Fellow of the Week: Jack Champagne
Jack Champagne is working this summer at the First Circuit Court of Appeals with Judge Seth R. Aframe, who was sworn in last year. The First Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal appellate court for the United States, reports to the US Supreme Court. Although the actual court is in Boston, Jack works in the judge’s chambers located in the district court in Concord, NH. Jack is a rising 3L.
Jack Champagne discusses how working with the First Circuit Court of Appeals is preparing him for the legal career he plans to pursue after law school..
On how the First Circuit Court of Appeals works:
New Hampshire doesn't have an intermediate appellate court like the federal judiciary does. We go straight up to the Supreme Court. And so I think that aspect of it, having a panel of three judges who decide a case, and having to send drafts back and forth to make sure you get everybody on board, or at least one other judge on board, so that you can rule the way you want to, that is really fascinating to me. Coming from an internship last summer in a trial court, where a judge makes their decision, writes their decision, applies the law, and that's it, there are a lot more steps to it in this court.
The placement of one word or one footnote in an opinion can have unknown ramifications way down the line. And so they're trying to write the best they can to prevent the unexpected from happening. More than anything else, they care so much about getting it right. And you can see that in the effort they put in.
On what he has been working on at the First Circuit Court of Appeals and with Judge Seth Abrams:
Twice this summer, once already, and again at the end of July, we go to oral arguments. The process begins with parties submitting their briefs on appeal. We review those, leading up to arguments. We write memos for the judge, who knows the case backwards and forwards, but it's helpful to him to have a second set of eyes, or more, on the case. I worked on two of those memos during the first two weeks. And then we went to oral argument, and then we start writing the orders from those hearings
The judge is also having me work on a project with him for the civics institute that he's running at the end of July for high schoolers. So I'm going to help him organize and put on some mock hearings and mock trials.
I've been doing legal research, legal writing, and right now I'm working on an order for the court. So I'm helping to get the ball rolling and get something written down that will eventually be published.
