Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2008-04-09

The Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals will hear oral arguments at Samford University Thursday, April 17. The public is invited to the event in Wright Center Concert Hall. Call to order will be at 9:10 a.m.

About 400 area high school and college students will attend the session, which is sponsored by Samford's Cumberland School of Law and the Birmingham Bar Foundation.

The nine-member Supreme Court will hear arguments in Vulcan Lincoln Mercury, Royal Automotive, Saturn, et al. v. City of Vestavia Hills and City of Hoover, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The case involves the businesses' suit against the two cities following property damage when Patton Creek overflowed its banks in 2002 and 2004. The Jefferson County Circuit Court entered a judgment in favor of Vestavia Hills and Hoover, and the businesses appealed.

The five-member Court of Civil Appeals will hear arguments in South Alabama Skills Training Consortium et al. v. Ford, et al. beginning at 10:50 a.m.

The case stems from a Montgomery County Circuit Court judgment regarding an appeal by several state employees to the office of the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) following their loss of employment. The argument will focus on several issues, including whether the ALJ had the authority to apply his decision to similarly situated employees and whether the Consortia may seek judicial review of the ALJ's decision.

The courts will adjourn at 11:50 a.m.

Students who are expected to attend represent Homewood High School, Central Park Christian School, Restoration Academy, Mt. View Baptist School, Hartselle High School, Cordova High School, Huffman High School, Wenonah High School and Birmingham School of Law. Samford undergraduate students and Cumberland law students will also attend.

The participating schools have been visited in recent weeks by attorneys who discussed the Alabama court process and the specific cases to be heard on April 17. The Alabama Center for Law and Civic Education has assisted with preparing the students to get the most possible from the experience.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.