Our students attended a lecture on the Puerto Rico court system delivered by a law clerk; they asked many interesting and challenging questions about the role of the courts in Puerto Rico. They also learned why clerks (who are typically young and have recently graduated from law school) are so important to the decisions delivered by courts.
After the lecture, our students had the opportunity to view a beautiful collection of “serigrafías” by Francisco Rodón, and they took a tour of the library and the grounds of the Supreme Court. They learned about the architecture and history of the buildings.
They ended the morning in a “Q&A” session with the Honorable Ángel Colón Pérez, the youngest judge on the Supreme Court panel. During Alejandro García Padilla’s governorship, Judge Colón was elected unanimously by the Legislature, which has only happened twice in the history of Puerto Rico. Judge Colón is a scholar and a professor of law in Puerto Rico, Spain, and Italy. He was emphatic about the importance of education in creating a just society.
The conversation with the judge took place in the chamber where the Justices hear oral arguments. This chamber has won awards for its architectural structure and it is a place of great importance to the Puerto Rico justice system. The questions posed by our students demonstrated a great deal of maturity. The Judge and his staff were very impressed with the level of analysis our students demonstrated and congratulated us at the end of our visit.
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