Some students hit the books to study; some find internships to hone in on their future trades. But this semester, four Bradley pre-law students are stepping back in time to practice law and onto the Hartmann Center mainstage.
The Theatre Department’s next play, “These Shining Lives”, centers around the true story of a number of working women that ingested large quantities of radium while working in the Ottawa Radium Dial Company during the 1920s. Many of the women began to suffer from radium-related health issues, so a court case ensued.
That sparked the interest of Jerelyn Maher, retired judge and director of Bradley’s Pre-Law Center.
Maher chose seniors Mackenzie Payne, Lindsey Fuller, Anna Huffman and Rachel Ehlermann to participate in a moot trial, which is a practice appellate court trial, based off the play.
“My partner [Huffman] and I will represent Catherine Donahue, the main character, and [Payne] and [Fuller] will represent the Radium Dial [Company], Catherine’s place of employment,” Ehlermann, a political science and public relations double major, said.
In the modern-day moot trial, Radium Dial Company will appeal that a special hearing should be held to test the scientific evidence provided by main character Catherine Donahue’s doctor, who diagnosed her with bone cancer as a result of her radium poisoning.
“We’re not arguing the entire case over again. That’s not what the appellate court is there to do,” Payne, an English major, said. “Rather, their purpose is to right any wrongs that happened at trial court. For example, if the trial judge accepted testimony that they shouldn’t have, that would be something relevant to an appellate justice.”
Payne said each of the four students studied up on the original court case, practiced their legal writing, read other legal cases and wrote case briefs to prepare for their debate.
“[Brief writing] entailed writing a few drafts and reading actual appellate briefs,” Payne said. “The judge has edited and critiqued each draft, which has basically been where I’ve learned the most – in her chicken scratch little comments on the margins.”
According to Ehlermann, this experience has taught her a great deal about appellate courts, brief-writing and case presentation.
“Having this opportunity has put the four of us ahead of the curve when it comes to the work we will have to complete in law school, and I am truly thankful for that,” Ehlermann said.
Ehlermann, Payne, Huffman and Fuller will argue their case at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 following a matinee performance of “These Shining Lives.”
“These Shining Lives” will be performed at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5 with a Bradley ID.
