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Chicago-Kent wins 59th annual National Moot Court Competition

Team successfully defends Chicago-Kent’s 2008 national championship

CHICAGO–February 6, 2009--For the second consecutive year, Chicago-Kent College of Law is the winner of the National Moot Court Competition, the largest appellate advocacy tournament in the United States. Chicago-Kent students Andrew Booth, Brody Dawson and Betsy Gates claimed the 2009 title after defeating the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the final round of the contest held February 2 to 5 in New York. Chicago-Kent is the first law school in more than 30 years to win back-to-back championships in the tournament.

Chicago-Kent students Brody Dawson '09, Andrew Booth '09 and Betsy Gates '09 win the National Moot Court Competition
Chicago-Kent students Brody Dawson '09, Andrew Booth '09, and Betsy Gates '09 are the winners of the 59th annual National Moot Court Competition

Chicago-Kent's team was coached by Professor Kent D. Streseman, director of the law school's Ilana Diamond Rovner Program in Appellate Advocacy. Team member Gates, a third-year student at Chicago-Kent, was presented a crystal obelisk from the American Council of Trial Lawyers as the runner-up in the tournament's Best Individual Speaker category.

"Winning both the 2008 and 2009 championships is a testament to our outstanding competitors and to our extraordinary moot court program," said Chicago-Kent Dean Harold J. Krent. "Congratulations to Andrew, Brody and Betsy as well as to their coach, Professor Kent Streseman, and to the many faculty members and alumni who assisted our team in this endeavor."

The National Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the New York City Bar Association, involved more than 400 students competing on 185 teams representing law schools throughout the United States.

Chicago-Kent excelled in one of 14 regional competitions before advancing to the national competition, where it faced George Washington University and Seattle University in preliminary rounds and defeated Gonzaga University in the round of 16. After defeating Mercer University in the quarterfinals and Loyola University New Orleans in the semifinals, Chicago-Kent advanced to the final round where it prevailed over a team from the University of Pennsylvania to win its second consecutive national championship.

The students argued a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court that raised issues of the constitutionality of a federal law designed to protect religious groups from discrimination and the scope of a federal law governing special education.

Winning team member Brody Dawson, a third-year student, is president of the Chicago-Kent Moot Court Honor Society. Dawson earned her undergraduate degree in history from Davidson College in North Carolina. Teammate Betsy Gates, winner of the second-place individual speaker award, is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a double major in zoology and environmental studies. Teammate Andrew Booth, also a third-year student, graduated from Wagner College, where he majored in international affairs.

Judging the final round of competition were the Honorable Barrington D. Parker, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; the Honorable Cheryl E. Chambers, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department; the Honorable John Gleeson, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; the Honorable Jonathan Lippman, presiding justice, Appellate Division, First Dept. and chief judge-designee, State of New York; the Honorable Shira A. Scheindlin, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; John J. Dalton, president of the American College of Trial Lawyers; and Patricia M. Hynes, president of the New York City Bar Association.

 

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