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PRESS RELEASE
For more information, please contact: Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
Chicago-Kent wins Midwest regional championship of the National Trial Competition for third consecutive year
Brian Wojcicki also wins the tournament's Best Advocate Award
CHICAGO–February 9, 2009--For the third consecutive year, Chicago-Kent is the winner of the Region 8 championship of the National Trial Competition, the premier trial advocacy tournament in the United States. The winning Chicago-Kent team of Matthew Casey, Sulema Medrano, and Brian Wojcicki defeated teams from Northwestern, University of Illinois, Notre Dame and Loyola University Chicago to prevail in the regional contest held February 6 to 8 in Chicago.
Chicago-Kent students Matthew Casey, Sulema Medrano and Brian Wojcicki are the winners of the Midwest regional round of the 2009 National Trial Competition
Brian Wojcicki also received the regional competition's best oral advocate award. The team is coached by retired Illinois Appellate Court Justice David A. Erickson, attorney Margaret C. Firnstein of Smith Amundsen, and David M. Lavin of the law firm of Field and Goldberg.
A second team from Chicago-Kent also reached the competition's finals. Chicago-Kent's Theresa Williams and Erin Hitchcock defeated teams from Northern Illinois, John Marshall and Notre Dame before losing in a 2-1 decision to a team from Loyola University Chicago.
The final round, held in the Richard J. Daley Center, was judged by the Honorable Ruben Castillo and the Honorable Ronald A. Guzman, both of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Winning team member Matthew Casey graduated from Notre Dame with an undergraduate degree in history. Teammate Sulema Medrano graduated from Michigan State University's James Madison College with a degree in social relations and criminal justice. Brian Wojcicki graduated cum laude from Bradley University with a double major in political science and philosophy. Casey and Wojcicki were members of the Chicago-Kent team that won the third annual National Ethics Trial Competition in 2008.
Chicago-Kent has won the regional championship 20 times in the past 27 years. This year's winning team will go on to defend Chicago-Kent's national title March 26 to March 29 in Austin, Tex., in an effort to become the first law school ever to win three straight national championships. Chicago-Kent also won the National Trial Competition in 1988.
The National Trial Competition, established in 1975 by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, is the one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in the United States. The program is designed to encourage and strengthen law students' advocacy skills and provides them with valuable interaction with judges and attorneys. The competition is currently co-sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Bar Association and West Group.
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