THE ILANA DIAMOND ROVNER PROGRAM IN APPELLATE ADVOCACY
The Ilana Diamond Rovner Program in Appellate Advocacy is the umbrella program for
Chicago-Kent's extensive appellate advocacy activities. A joint effort of the students,
alumnae/i, staff, and faculty of the law school, the Rovner Program consists of intensive
coursework in appellate litigation, intramural competitions, and participation in local,
regional, and national appellate advocacy competitions. The program is named for The
Honorable Ilana Diamond Rovner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit. Judge Rovner is a 1966 graduate of the law school.
Students selected for the Rovner Program (based on grade point average and previous
intramural competitions) enroll in Appellate Advocacy, generally in the fall semester of
their second year. The course contains segments on advanced brief writing, advanced
research skills, oral argument, and appellate procedure, and builds upon Chicago-Kent's first-year legal writing and research courses.
The students in the course receive personalized instruction in brief writing, including
detailed, one-on-one critique of their work. The students are divided into small groups
for oral argument instruction, which includes videotaping each student and critiquing
that videotaped performance.
The centerpiece of the course is the Ilana Diamond Rovner Appellate Advocacy Competition. Each student prepares a brief on a significant appellate issue, as well as
an oral argument on both sides of that issue. The top eight students in the first round
compete in a quarterfinal round. The top four students then compete in a semi-final
round, from which two students are selected to argue in the final round before a panel of
federal and state judges.
Three scholarships are presented at the conclusion of the competition. The Ilana
Diamond Rovner Award for Outstanding Appellate Advocate is given to the student with
the highest combined brief and oral argument scores; the Ralph L. Brill Award is
presented to the student who wrote the best brief; and the Fay Clayton Award is
presented to the student with the best oral argument performance.
Students who have completed the course in Appellate Advocacy are eligible to be
selected to represent Chicago-Kent and the Rovner Program in interscholastic
competition. The students with the best combined brief and oral argument scores in the
Rovner Competition are offered a place on one of eight interscholastic teams the law
school enters in spring semester competitions. These students are also eligible to
participate in a second interscholastic competition in the fall of their third year at
Chicago-Kent.
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