Submitted Photo
Appeals court judges and attorneys speak with seniors in the PAC on March 13, 2025.
“Yup, that’s it, that’s the job for me,” Carol Codrington, California’s 4th District Court of Appeals judge, said when sharing her story about how she got into law.
Codrington went on a field trip to a courthouse in fifth grade. During that field trip she figured out what she wanted to do with her life. Shadow Hills seniors had a similar opportunity last week, but in this case, the courthouse went to them.
Students at Shadow Hills had a chance to watch a court case in the Performing Arts Center. The Court of Appeals came to the high school as an outreach program for students who are interested in law.
This was the 23rd outreach program the Court of Appeals participated in. The same program recently happened at Coachella Valley High school.
Beforehand, select students were given an opportunity to meet with the justices and lawyers and ask questions.
They asked about the panel members’ educational journeys, and how they chose their profession.
Senior Olivia Taylor enjoyed listening to the different stories. “I thought it was interesting learning more about the backgrounds and…personal lives of the justices and the attorneys,” she said.
Seeing and hearing the cases argued in the auditorium was exciting for everybody involved. The court staff was impressed to see how the students responded to the outreach program.
Amanda Lloyd, the Deputy Attorney General for the Correctional Writs and Appeals Office, said she was hoping the students would gain a better understanding of how law works, and maybe even be inspired.
The event was a success. Many students now have a better understanding of how the court system works, and have new perspectives on law careers.
“Someone like a public defender that gets to stand up for the little guy is a really interesting position that I hadn’t really considered before,” explained Samuel Martin (‘25).