On April 11, the Indiana Supreme Court visited the nearby campus of the University of Indianapolis to hear oral argument in Keller Mellowitz v. Ball State University, Board of Trustees of Ball State University, and State of Indiana. This case marked the 49th time the Court has heard arguments somewhere other than the Supreme Court Courtroom since 1994, providing students, media, and the public the opportunity to observe the judicial process in their community.
Nearly 400 guests listened to the proceedings in UIndy’s Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, including students from the University of Indianapolis as well as from Cathedral, Center Grove, Franklin Central, Indianapolis Metropolitan, New Palestine, and Purdue Polytechnic high schools. Court was gaveled into session by UIndy senior and honorary bailiff, Meagan Tadevich, before attorneys presented arguments.
A highlight of the event was the outstanding level of student engagement, with the ensuing question and answer session lasting almost as long as the argument itself. When a student asked for advice on pursuing a career in law, Justice Molter suggested that those who are “prone to deep thinking” have fulfilled the only prerequisite needed to join the practice. This inclination was on full display in the reflective questions enthusiastically posed by the student audience.
