Campus News

Law teams finish strong in competitions

For the first time, a UGA School of Law moot court team made it to the final round of the American Bar Association National Student Appellate Advocacy Competition, and the team finished second out of 187 law schools.

The team of second-year students Stephanie C. Anderson, Michael A. Caplan and W. Elliott Stiles also won the third-best brief award in the competition, held March 31-April 2 in Chicago. Caplan was named as the competition’s sixth best oralist. Third-year students Brendan G. Krasinski, Darren C. Hickman and Richard L. Maxwell coached the group.

After defeating teams from Texas Wesleyan University and George Washington University in the quarterfinals and semifinals, the trio lost to South Texas College of Law in the final round.

In the Intrastate Moot Court Competition held this past month, second-year student Jason T. Burnette was named best oralist. He and his teammates, second-year students Satura L. McPherson and Andrew J. Tuck, also prepared the tournament’s best-written brief.

This trio and the law school’s second team-­second-year students Joshua P. Gunnemann, Taylor M. Chamberlin and Alderman Z. Faison Jr.-advanced to the semifinal round of this annual tournament, which pits two teams from each of the state’s law schools against each other. Third-year students Beth F. Morris and Eadaoin M. Waller coached the two groups.

Additionally, a team of UGA law students finished third at the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. The quartet was comprised of second-year students Veronica L. Richardson and Ayotunde “Tunde” O. Ezekiel and third-year students H. Joseph Colette and Jadun O. McCarthy. Third-year student Charmel L. Gaulden served as coach.