A half-dozen University of Chicago law students spent hundreds of hours helping prepare arguments for a legal brief challenging Illinois’ forfeiture law that was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the vast majority of lawyers never have a chance to do.

The students did the work while working for the Civil Rights Project at the Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the Hyde Park school.

They largely researched past cases in forfeiture law and other state and federal laws. They helped brainstorm legal arguments that could be made to appeal to the nine Supreme Court justices based on their past rulings.

Pier Peterson, 28, who graduated in June and lives in Woodlawn, said helping prepare the 59-page brief filed to court was “awe inspiring. The case is going to have a major impact one way or the other. Knowing your work is going to have that kind of impact is exciting and meaningful.’’

Kathleen Rubenstein, 24, a third-year law student who also lives in Woodlawn, spent 177 hours doing research on the case.

“Very few attorneys ever get to set foot in the Supreme Court. I feel very fortunate. To see your research in print [and submitted to the Supreme Court] is really exciting.’’

Four of the students attended the Supreme Court hearing Wednesday.

“It was really, really wonderful,’’ Rubenstein said afterwards.

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