Liberty Counsel
NEWS RELEASE

Contact: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT - 800-671-1776

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2007

Lynchburg, VA – The long anticipated unveiling of the unique Supreme Courtroom at Liberty University School of Law (LUSL) became a reality during a dedication ceremony this afternoon. The Supreme Courtroom reflects the vision of the law school, and it is designed to inspire vision in its students. The mission of LUSL is to train lawyers, judges, educators, policymakers and world leaders in the rule of law from the perspective of a Christian worldview.

The central features of the room are patterned after the United States Supreme Court. Attention to detail makes the Supreme Courtroom distinct from other law school courtrooms. The beauty of the Supreme Courtroom is stunning; its design reflects a state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind facility; its functionality is unparalleled. The actual blueprints of the interior chambers of the U.S. Supreme Court were used in its construction and design. The bench for nine Justices, the angles, the elevation of the bench from the floor, and the distance of the bench from the podium are all exact. The four large Roman columns behind the bench reflect the columns behind the Supreme Court's bench. At 4,400 square feet, the interior of the Supreme Courtroom is larger than the interior of the Supreme Court, and unlike the Supreme Court, the Supreme Courtroom is equipped with cutting-edge AV and IT technology. Cameras at the front and back, a document projector and a smart technology podium allow document viewing, PowerPoint, video, and the internet to be projected on two 16- by 9-foot retractable screens.

The Supreme Courtroom will be a venue for preparing real cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, actual court sessions by state and federal courts of appeal, reenactments of historic cases, moot court competitions, and national speakers. The room will host a speakers' forum with historian David Barton of WallBuilders on Wednesday, the Lynchburg Bar Association's continuing legal education program a few days later, and a Christianity and American History Conference next month with Dr. Daniel Dreisbach and others.

LUSL graduates its first class in May and currently has 150 students, with plans to accommodate a total of 450 students on campus in the full-time J.D. program. LUSL is accepting applications for the fall semester.

Dr. Jerry Falwell, Chancellor of Liberty University, said, "Future leaders in law will be trained in the Supreme Courtroom, including some who will one day argue before the Supreme Court and perhaps even serve as a Justice on the High Court. We will read of their exploits and feel the impact these young champions will have on the culture."

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, stated, "When students walk into the Supreme Courtroom, it is our intention to inspire them to lift their eyes and raise their expectations to new heights. There is no question that some of our students will argue before the Supreme Court. Others will aspire to the heights of government, public policy, public interest law, education, business, private practice or missions. We are equipping them to use law as a fulcrum for good throughout the world."

###