For Immediate Release
April 13, 2006
Contact:
Kim Munkres
kmunkres@wilkinguge.com
(909) 625-2225 ext. 26
College of Law Moot Court Team Wins Best Brief Award...Again!
Ontario, Calif., April 13, 2006 – Proving University of La Verne College of Law is a force to be reckoned with, students Jennifer Strona and Lucio Leon argued their way to success at the Hispanic National Bar Association Moot Court Competition, advancing to the quarter-finals and snagging the competition’s “Best Respondent’s Brief” award. The award comes less than a month after law students Jessica Morehead and Mary Bader received the “Best Petitioner’s Brief” award at the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition held in San Diego.
“Without exception, the judges who heard Ms. Strona and Mr. Leon’s oral arguments were impressed with the team’s performance. They commented on the team’s poise and polish, their ‘perfect’ courtroom demeanor, the organization of their arguments and their responsiveness to questions,” said Kathy Luttrell Garcia, assistant professor of law and co-coach to the ULV moot court team, along with Professor Kevin Marshall. “After the quarter-final round, all three judges commented that they tried, but were unable to, ‘throw off’ either competitor.”
Professor Garcia contributes part of the team’s success to student coach Jean-Simon Serrano. Serrano helped Strona and Leon polish their oral arguments in preparation for the competition and served as a student judge in practice sessions.
29 teams participated in the event, held on March 10 and 11 in Seattle. Strona and Leon argued in the quarter-final round against teams from St. Mary’s University School of Law, John Marshall Law School, University of New Mexico Law School, DePaul University College of Law, The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, The University of Houston Law Center and University of Wisconsin Law School. Twenty-one other teams also participated in the competition but did not advance beyond the preliminary rounds.
“At the University of La Verne College of Law, we pride ourselves on the personal attention we give to our students to help them reach their goals,” said Dean Donald J. Dunn. “The success of our moot court program demonstrates our students are well-educated and fully prepared for a smooth transition into legal practice.”
As part of their brief’s first place finish, the trio will share a $1,000 scholarship provided by State Farm.
About the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Law Student Division
The Hispanic National Bar Association’s Law Student Division is a national organization of law students governed by its members. The mission of the HNBA-LSD is to increase the number of Latino/a law students involved with the HNBA and HNBA-LSD, to encourage the participation of Latino students in developing and remaining responsive to the social, political and academic promotion of the Latino/a community and to encourage and promote the recruitment, academic achievement and retention of Latino/a law students.
About University of La Verne College of Law
Located in Ontario, Calif., University of La Verne College of Law serves over 3.8 million people as the only accredited law school in Inland Southern California and an additional 2.2 million people in San Gabriel Valley and Eastern Los Angeles County. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and the State Bar of California.
Established in 1970, the College of Law adheres to the ideals and vision of the University of La Verne and is recognized as a progressive school, integrating time-honored methods in teaching the law with the most advanced technology available. Known for its emphasis on advocacy, the law school offers small classes that feature a traditional curriculum and practical skills taught by respected, practice-proven faculty focused on individual students’ needs and a prominent and supportive alumni network, both grounded in a commitment to ethics and service. For more information about the University of La Verne College of Law, please call (909) 460-2001 or visit the Web at http://law.ulv.edu.
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The University of La Verne College of Law was provisionally approved by the American Bar Association on February 13, 2006.
