As a Washington, D.C. area resident, Brittany (Douple) Feiner ’99 has been in the Supreme Court Building for other events, but even for her, this time felt different.
“It’s a very humbling experience being in front of the Justices and having them acknowledge you as one of their fellow colleagues,” Feiner says.
Feiner was one of 19 University of Dayton School of Law alumni who were sworn into the Supreme Court Bar in May and are now eligible to argue cases in front of the Justices. While in the court, the group also got to hear the Justices read their opinions on two cases, Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II and Jules v. Andre Balazs Properties. Eight of the nine Justices were there with only Justice Clarence Thomas not in attendance.
“It was really cool to have that opportunity to observe them and experience a couple of them read their opinions, hearing their voices and intonation, it was rewarding to be a part of their ordinary business,” Feiner says.
But it wasn’t just the Justices who made the day special for Feiner.
“Having the opportunity to do it with fellow alumni was really meaningful,” Feiner says. “It’s a nice point in your career to stop and reassess and reconnect with fellow UD Law alumni and enjoy that milestone moment together.”
Feiner has a unique vantage point on the history of Dayton Law, having started her time as a law student in Albert Emanuel Hall, the law school’s home for nearly 20 years, and finishing it in Joseph Keller Hall, the current building that opened in 1997. Feiner can remember the novelty of having a wired internet connection wherever you sat in class, and the importance of what was taught in the classes no matter the location.
“I definitely felt like I had very good professors and I got a sound legal education,” Feiner says. “It launched me through passing the bar and has sustained me through a very rewarding legal career. I very much value the time I spent at UD Law School.”
Feiner’s legal career took her to Washington, D.C. where she served as a legislative staff attorney for then-Senator Mike DeWine and spent time doing civil litigation before moving back to work in Dayton while raising her kids.
Recently she returned to D.C., where she works on government contracting fraud cases with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) as Navy counsel. Feiner says it was great to welcome fellow alumni from across the country to the Nation’s Capital.
“The breakfast before the swearing-in was nice because I sat at a table with alumni I’d never met before from different years and that live in all different states, so connecting with them to see where UD Law launched them was really fun,” Feiner says.
UDSL Dean Christopher Roederer, who also took part in the trip, says it was great to speak with alumni from different eras to hear about the similarities and differences in their experiences, while at the same time letting them know what it’s like for current students.
“The School of Law has gone from when a wired internet connection for a student in class was an impactful technological innovation to now having the country’s leading Online Hybrid J.D. program where students take nearly all their classes online,” Roederer says. “But what has not changed is the importance we put on making sure students are grasping the concepts they will need to be good lawyers and making the connections that have created the special environment we have at UDSL both in-person and online and among students and alumni.”
The next Supreme Court Bar swearing-in opportunity is still being planned. Please email Amanda Rupp at arupp1@udayton.edu if you are interested in attending.
Feiner thinks it’s a worthwhile experience for UDSL alumni, whether you’re a 20-minute Metro ride or two-hour flight away.
“I would highly recommend that attorneys participate in this process at some point in their career,” Feiner says. “It takes you out of your day-to-day grind and reminds you of the importance of the legal profession.”