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PRESS RELEASE
For more information, please contact: Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
Chicago-Kent wins 32nd annual National Trial Competition
CHICAGO–April 2, 2007–-Chicago-Kent College of Law students Joshua Jones and Keya Rajput are the winners of the 32nd annual National Trial Competition, the premier trial advocacy tournament in the United States, after defeating six nationally ranked trial teams during the final rounds of the contest held March 29 to 31 in Houston.
Rajput, a third-year student at Chicago-Kent, also received the competition’s Best Advocate Award.
“This is a spectacular achievement for two very talented law students and for Chicago-Kent’s first-rate trial advocacy program,” said Chicago-Kent dean Harold J. Krent. “Congratulations to Joshua and Keya and to their outstanding team of coaches. The entire Chicago-Kent community applauds their victory.”
Chicago-Kent students Joshua Jones and Keya Rajput, winners of the 32nd annual National Trial Competition
Sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the trial competition involved more than 1,000 law students competing on 280 teams and representing 147 U.S. law schools. To reach the final round of competition, Chicago-Kent’s team finished first among 20 teams competing for one of 13 regional championships, then defeated three teams in the national preliminary rounds to advance to the national quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals featured trials between Chicago-Kent and University of North Carolina; Temple University and the University of Houston; University of Notre Dame and University of California-Hastings; and Stanford University and Pepperdine University. After defeating North Carolina in the quarterfinals and Pepperdine in the semifinals, Chicago-Kent prevailed over Temple to win the championship.
Winning team member Joshua Jones, who received the Best Advocate Award in the tournament’s regional competition, is a 2003 graduate of the University of Iowa, where he triple-majored in English, philosophy and political science. His teammate, Keya Rajput, is a 2004 graduate of the University of Michigan, where she majored in political science and French.
Chicago-Kent’s team was coached by Illinois Appellate Court Justice Warren D. Wolfson, director of the Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy Program, and David A. Erickson, retired appellate court justice and assistant director of the program, along with adjunct professor and assistant Cook County state’s attorney Margaret Firnstein, adjunct professor and attorney Nicholas A. Caputo of the Gloor Law Group, and attorney Danielle Kays.
The National Trial Competition’s rotating trophy will bear the Chicago-Kent name and remain in its possession until next year’s national finals. Chicago-Kent will also be presented with a $10,000 gift endowed by the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski.
Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy Program
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