A group photo of the 71st Graduate Course. (Photo courtesy of author.)
The 71st Graduate Course Visits the Supreme Court
By Lieutenant Colonel Craig M. Scrogham
On 23 January 2023, the 71st Graduate Course
made their pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., to visit the Supreme Court,
the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Army Court of
Criminal Appeals. Led by Brigadier General (BG) Alison Martin, Commander
of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, and Lieutenant
Colonel (LTC) Melvin Williams, Associate Dean of Students, the class
piled into buses for an early morning ride to our Nation’s capital, an
annual event for The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School
graduate students.
Although an early arrival required the group to stand outside the
Supreme Court for just under an hour, the low-forties temperature and
light rain were not enough to dampen the excitement. Even though the
students were eager to get inside, the majesty of the building was
magnetic. Symbolism layered on symbolism, you could see and hear
students throughout the line pointing at the friezes and statues and
saying, “I wonder what that means!”1
Once allowed in, students were ushered into a waiting room and given
directions on how the admissions ceremony would unfold. The anticipation
was palpable, amplified by portraits of former Chief Justices,
Corinthian columns, and students dressed in their service uniforms.
Greeted by the eleventh Marshall of the Supreme Court and retired judge
advocate colonel, Gail Curley, we were warmly welcomed and told the
ceremony was about to begin.
Students—both applicants and spectators—found their seats. One could not
help but notice the stark difference between the building and the
courtroom; the former massive in all the ways you expect something in
Washington, D.C., to be, and the latter intimate, not necessarily
little, but not so large you felt distant or disconnected from the
unfolding events. The twenty minutes between being seated and the call
to order provided just enough time to soak in the courtroom’s
architecture, every aspect of which was a deliberate choice.2
Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Sonia
Sotomayor, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
were in attendance for the ceremony. Justice Amy Comey Barrett began by
reading the unanimous
Arellano v. McDonough3decision from the bench, a good reminder to the perfect audience to not delay filing any of our Veteran’s Administration claims.4 Brigadier General Martin then nominated forty-two students for admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court. Once approved for admission, we made our way back to the Chief Justice’s portrait room, where Chief Justice John Roberts thanked us for our service to our Nation, our defense of liberty, and asked all to remember the oath we took as we continue to support and defend the rule of law.
To conclude our first day of the trip, students attended a second admissions ceremony at the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Chief Judge Kevin A. Ohlson personally welcomed the Graduate Course, spending thirty minutes answering questions on his own. Afterwards, LTC Williams petitioned the court to admit the students. A more formal Q&A followed the admission ceremony.
The next day started at the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, located on Fort Belvoir in the United States Army Legal Services Agency. What students thought would be just another admissions ceremony turned out to be a powerful and motivating history lesson. The Chief Judge, BG George Smawley, discussed the history and evolution of the court, starting with the 1917 Houston Riots,5 highlighting the importance of the court’s role and the role of all judge advocates. The day ended with tours of the new U.S. Army Advocacy Center and the National Museum of the U.S. Army.
Students awaiting the ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo courtesy of author)
The trip, organized by Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Rausa and Captain Elin Rudary, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While the opportunity to walk the halls of the Supreme Court and learn about its role and history were impactful, the experience provided all with an incredible opportunity to reflect on the importance of the rule of law, the role judge advocates play in providing principled counsel, and how each of us has an important role to play in protecting both. TAL
LTC Scrogham and LTC Williams pose in front of a portrait of Chief Justice William H. Taft at the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo courtesy of author)
LTC Scrogham is the Vice Chair of the Contract and Fiscal Law Department at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Notes
1. See Architectural Information, Sup. Ct. of the U.S., https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/archdetails.aspx (last visited Mar. 3, 2023) (providing information on various aspects of the Supreme Court’s architecture).
2. See Supreme Court Building, Architect of the Capitol, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/supreme-court/supreme-court-building (last visited Mar. 3, 2023) (providing another perspective on the architecture of the Supreme Court, as well as other buildings around the Capitol).
3. Arellano v. McDonough, 143 S. Ct. 543 (2023).
4. See Leo Shane III, No Retroactive Benefits for Veterans Past Deadline, Supreme Court
Says, Mil. Times (Jan. 23, 2023), https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2023/01/23/supreme-court-rejects-bid-to-ease-retroactive-benefits-rules-for-vets (providing a good summary of the case and its impact on VA claims).
5. Robert V. Haynes, Houston Riot of 1917, Tex. State Hist. Soc’y (Nov. 9, 2020), https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/houston-riot-of-1917.