News

Northwestern Law Teams Win Two Trial Competitions

November 29, 2006

Two Northwestern Law trial teams won recent competitions, including a championship at the Buffalo-Niagara Invitational Mock Trial Tournament and a victory in a trial advocacy competition that focuses on employment and labor litigation.

Northwestern's National Trial Team captured the championship at the Buffalo-Niagra Invitation Trial Tournament, compiling a perfect 6-to-0 record in the six rounds of competition and defeating Florida Coastal School of Law by a 4-to-3 vote in the championship round.

One of the largest competitions of this type in the country, the Buffalo-Niagara mock trial competition included teams from forty law schools, representing 18 states. More than 160 students traveled to upstate New York to participate in the four-day competition, held November 9-12 at the Buffalo City Courthouse. More than 200 area lawyers and judges acted as jurists and evaluators during the six rounds of competition, and New York State Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dillon presided over the championship round.

Northwestern Law students who participated in this competition included Gwendolyn Carroll (JD '07), Alexis Garmey (JD '08), David Perry (JD '07), and Ian Williams (JD '08). Carroll was named the competition's outstanding advocate, and Williams won the award for best opening statement. The practicing attorneys who worked with the team throughout the year to prepare for the competition included adjunct professors Rick Levin and Adam Riback, of the Levin Riback Law Group. Other members of the National Trial Team are Alan Robinson (JD '07) and Jacob Smith (JD '07).

A Northwestern team also won first place in an American Bar Association (ABA) trial advocacy competition that focuses on the challenges and rewards of employment and labor litigation. The ABA's Labor and Employment Law Section sponsored the competition. Third-year law students A. J. Sharp, Brooke Lewis, Kathryn Perry, and Ryan Ferch were undefeated in the competition's four rounds, held in Chicago November 18-19. Michael Leonard of Meckler Bulger & Tilson coached this team.

  • Categories: