Judges Michael Hall , Mary Donovan, and Michael Tucker hear oral arguments before students at the University of Dayton School of Law.

Judges Michael Hall , Mary Donovan, and Michael Tucker hear oral arguments before students at the University of Dayton School of Law.

The present met the past for three Second District Court of Appeals judges during last week’s oral arguments.

Judges Mary E. Donovan, Michael T. Hall, and Michael L. Tucker returned to their alma mater – the University of Dayton School of Law – to hear a pair of appellate cases last Wednesday.

“It’s always great to come back,” said Judge Tucker, a 1980 graduate. “By bringing the court process into the community, we hope to promote a better understanding of Ohio’s judicial system and the appellate court’s role in that system.”

As part of the court’s educational outreach, oral arguments were convened before a crowd of law students, many of whom are in their first year and preparing for their own upcoming mock arguments.

Following the two half-hour hearings, judges answered students’ questions, which included effective argument styles, the court’s decision-making process, and career paths in the legal profession.

The Second District – which is one of Ohio’s 12 intermediate-level appellate courts – is comprised of five judges who hear appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery counties.