The legal world was overawed today as professors from a top law school took opposing sides in a case before the Supreme Court. According to Above the Law, the case in question is NRA v. Vullo, which had its oral arguments heard today.
It’s worth noting that professors from this unspecified law school were in the unusual position of opposing each other. Previously, whilst they might have worked on the same Supreme Court case, they have never done so from differing stances. The identity of the law school remains at this stage undisclosed and is teasingly hinted at with an invitation to ‘see the answer on the next page’.
With a touch of humor, they noted the situation as a ‘no lose’ scenario for the law school, suggesting that, regardless of the outcome, the sheer level of representation from one institution is an achievement in itself.
In any case, it points up that law schools aren’t just academies; they are cradles of thought, places where legal strategies are both taught and developed. And as Supreme Court advocacy continues to trend toward a specialty, with a small group of attorneys repeatedly appearing before the Justices, it’s impressive to see academic scholars step down from the ivory tower to engage directly in legal practice.
As we continue to follow developments related to NRA v. Vullo and pay close attention to legal scholars’ power to shape law, one conclusion is becoming increasingly clear. The ultimate impact of today’s legal education is not just in the students who graduate, but equally in the cases that those professors choose to take up on behalf of clients or causes they believe in.