|
PRESS RELEASE
For more information, please contact: Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
Chicago-Kent wins 33rd annual National Trial Competition
CHICAGO–March 31, 2008--For the second consecutive year, Chicago-Kent College of Law is the winner of the National Trial Competition, the premier trial advocacy tournament in the United States. Chicago-Kent students Mark Griffin and Joshua Jones claimed the 2008 title on March 29 after defeating six nationally ranked trial teams during the final rounds of the contest held in Austin, Texas.
Chicago-Kent students Joshua Jones '08 and Mark Griffin '08, winners of the 33rd annual National Trial Competition.
Jones, a third-year student at Chicago-Kent, also received the competition’s Best Advocate Award.
“Winning both the 2007 and 2008 competitions is a spectacular accomplishment for our student competitors as well as our first-rate Trial Advocacy Program,” said Chicago-Kent Dean Harold J. Krent. “Congratulations to Mark and Joshua and to their terrific team of coaches.”
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 more than 250 teams representing 147 U.S. law schools.
To reach the final round of competition, Chicago-Kent’s team finished first among the 20 teams in its region, then defeated Temple University, University of Kentucky and University of Georgia in the national preliminary rounds to advance to the national quarterfinals. After defeating Washington University in the quarterfinals and Syracuse University in the semifinals, Chicago-Kent prevailed over University of New Mexico to win the championship.
Winning team member Mark Griffin, who received the Best Advocate Award in the tournament’s regional competition, is a 2005 graduate of Towson University, where he majored in sociology. His teammate, Joshua Jones, is a 2003 graduate of the University of Iowa, where he triple-majored in English, philosophy and political science. A member of the 2007 winning team, he is the first student in the history of the competition to win two national championships back to back.
Chicago-Kent’s team was coached by the Honorable David A. Erickson, retired appellate court justice and associate director of Chicago-Kent’s Trial Advocacy Program, along with retired attorney George Domas ’82, who was a member of Chicago-Kent’s first trial advocacy team, and adjunct professor Margaret Firnstein ’99, an attorney at SmithAmundsen LLC in Chicago. The law school’s trial advocacy program is directed by Illinois Appellate Court Justice Warren D. Wolfson.
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 is the first school to win both the National Trial Competition and the National Moot Court Competition in the same year.
Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy Program
|
