19th Century Case Inspires a Different Kind of Legal Writing

After his first year of law school, Brent Jordheim ('09), spent part of his summer working with Professor Marianne Wesson, assisting with her research on the Hillmon case. The case is an elaborate story of a cattle dealer who journeyed west to find land but was shot when his companion's gun accidently went off. The controversy arose when it was discovered that Hillmon had taken out a massive life insurance policy right before he left and that another man, who looked a lot like Hillmon, went missing around the same time that Hillmon died. Twenty years, five trials, two Supreme Court appeals, and one settlement later, the mystery remains: who was buried in John Hillmon's grave?  

Jordheim, who majored in English literature as an undergraduate, has always had a passion for writing and got permission from Professor Wesson to write a play about the case. Using court transcripts, newspaper articles, and other evidence gathered by Professor Wesson, Jordheim completed a working draft of his first play within two months. By the fall of his 2L year, Jordheim was listening to professional actors from the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) complete a table reading of his script.

Several drafts later, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival continues to be involved with Jordheim's script and is planning a staged reading for the fall of 2009 at the law school. Funding for the reading was donated in part by Colorado Law alumna Dr. Ruth Wright ('72) and her husband Kenneth Wright. As CFS expand its reptoire to include no-Shakespearean works, it hopes the reading will generate interest in the play that will lead to a full production. CFS is eager to broaden its appeal to a wider audience, which it hopes to do by involving the law school and attracting law students and legal professionals.

Jordheim, now editor-in-chief of the University of Colorado Law Review, says that the entire experience has been one of the greatest highlights of his law school career. The opportunity to build a relationship with Professor Wesson, someone who has been able to combine her love of writing with a legal career, has been inspiring for Jordheim.