Columbus High Introduces New Courtroom and Legal Pathway

By: Lucile Choudhury

For the past few months, the Columbus High administration has worked tirelessly on the third floor, creating an exciting new environment for CHS students: a state-of-the-art courtroom. Along with this, there also comes the introduction of a new legal pathway that students can take beginning in their freshman year. This initiative provides students with hands-on experience in the previously foreign field of law.

The new courtroom has adequate areas for judges, juries, and attorneys, which provide students with an opportunity to practice their skills in law in a realistic setting. Nowhere else across the county can students access such a unique facility, bridging a large gap between students and their familiarity with the practice of law.

More specifically, the legal pathway utilizes this courtroom experience through offering a plethora of courses focused on law. This allows students to truly delve into their passions for law and have a chance to apply their knowledge directly in the courtroom. 

CHS mock trial students are the first to use the courtroom for their weekly practice. 

Ritika Polepally (11), co-captain of the team, has expressed how the courtroom “allows [them] to visualize how [their] trials will look like, and give [them] the experience to understand [their] legal cases in a professional setting.

Before this creation, mock trial students entered unfamiliar territory on the day of the competition in a full-size courtroom. Now, they hold weekly practice sessions in the courtroom, ensuring that their practices mimic competition settings.

Polepally has also expressed gratitude for how the courtroom helps her on a personal level.

She has stated how the courtroom has given her “the opportunity to improve [her] public speaking and critical thinking skills in a realistic environment.”

Through this initiative, Columbus High provides students with a rare opportunity outside of a regular classroom's reach. The new courtroom and legal pathway positions students interested in law for a future of success.