Beginning later this year, Salmon P. Chase College of Lawstudents will be able to be in court without leaving the college’s home in NunnHall on the ֱ campus.
That is when a new courtroom, backed by major funding fromthe independent Chase College Foundation and donations from alumni and otherdonors, is scheduled to be opened for use in mock trials and traveling sessionsof commonwealth and federal courts.
Primary funding for the courtroom nearing completion on thefirst floor of Nunn Hall is being provided by the Chase College Foundation,which was established in 1954 when Chase was an independent law school inCincinnati and which continues to support the college through the 70-year-oldlegacy fund it manages. Funding for specific courtroom features, such as thejudicial bench, counsel tables and jury room, is being provided by alumni andfriends of the college through a designated giving campaign.
When the courtroom is completed, it will be known as theChase College Foundation Courtroom, with individuals’ designated donationsacknowledged on a donor recognition panel.
“Chasestudents will benefit from a new, state-of-the-art courtroom because thestudents will now have had the opportunity to take a trial advocacy class orparticipate in a mock trial program where the type of technology available inmany 21st century courtrooms will be available to them,” says Professor JackHarrison, the longtime coordinator of student mock trial teams. “Also, with amodern, sophisticated courtroom available, the law school will be able to hostactual trials where judges are willing to do a trial setting in the newcourtroom.”
In addition to use by students, the courtroom will be availablefor sessions of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, the Kentucky Court of Appeals(which convened at Chase a year ago), commonwealth and federal trial andappellate courts, and community groups.
The new courtroom will replace one that had become outdated byadvances in technology and its limited assembly spaces. Within it will be allthe technology, ancillary spaces and furnishings of a modern courtroom. Most ofthose appointments are being funded by contributions from alumni and friends ofthe college. In addition to the Chase College Foundation, donations are fundingaspects such as the judicial bench, counsel tables, jury box, and jury andgallery chairs.
•Questions about remaining opportunities to contribute to the courtroomproject can be directed to David MacKnight, associate dean for advancement, at macknightd1@nku.edu.
