The Arizona Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the Great Hall at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law before an audience of first-year law students. Photo by Tom Story of ASU

     The Arizona Supreme Court spent about 90 minutes listening to attorneys argue the facts of two cases and quizzing them about parts of the law during a visit on March 25 to the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
     After the oral arguments, the justices took the time to candidly answer questions from the audience, which included the proper preparation of cases, grooming for a judicial career and the perks of being on the state's highest court.
     "I like being called `Your Honor'," quipped Justice Michael Ryan (Class of 1977).
     "I look great in black," added Justice Andrew Hurwitz.
     The five judges, three of whom are alumni of the ASU law school, seemed to enjoy this annual exchange with the mostly first-year law students. This time, a delegation of judges and attorneys from Kyrgyzstan, visiting the U.S. for the first time to learn more about justice, also attended.
     Being on the Supreme Court is an opportunity to work with people who care deeply about researching facts and fairly deciding interesting cases, said Chief Justice Ruth McGregor (Class of 1974). But it's more than case law, McGregor said, noting the justices also work on programs that help ensure victims' rights and improve the efficiency of the juvenile courts, among others.
     "It's a really great job," she said.
     The Arizona Supreme Court is a unique animal, said Justice Scott Bales.
     "We always sit together and are small enough to operate in collegial fashion, which is unique to our court system," Bales said. "Every week is like a seminar dealing with a very different legal question."
     Hurwitz, a former trial attorney, said maintaining neutrality behind the bench is "not for sissies."
     "A lot of times we decide cases in a way we wouldn't if we were perfectly free to represent our own preferences," he said. "It's not a downside, but it's a `hard side'."
     Hurwitz advised the students not to plan their careers to be judges.
     "Leaving law school and planning on becoming a judge is probably not a good way to be a judge or to live your life," he said. "We all practiced law at some time, which is an incredible educational experience and gives you a good idea of whether you really want to be on the bench.

Justices of the Arizona Supreme Court are, from left, Andrew Hurwitz, Rebecca Berch,  Chief Justice Ruth McGregor, Michael Ryan  and Scott Bales. -- Photo by Tom Story of ASU