KU Law News
KU Law News
Feb. 16, 2010
KU students earn honors at international law moot court competition
From left, Michael Lee, Samantha Clark, Ellen O'Leary, Drew Cummings, Professor John Head and Brooke Edenfield.
LAWRENCE – Law students representing the University of Kansas School of Law in the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition brought back multiple honors from the regional rounds this weekend in Houston.
The KU team – Samantha Clark, Drew Cummings, Brooke Edenfield, Michael Lee and Ellen O’Leary – submitted briefs in January for both sides in a case involving two states arguing over jurisdiction, self-determination and foreign investment. They competed this weekend in the oral arguments phase of the competition at the University of Houston Law Center.
Out of the 24 teams and more than 90 oral advocates competing there, KU law students performed extremely well, bringing home four plaques:
- Brooke Edenfield won sixth-place oralist for the entire competition.
- Mike Lee won seventh-place oralist for the entire competition.
- The team won third-best memorials (briefs) for the entire competition.
- The team advanced to the quarterfinals, only to lose narrowly to one of the two teams that went on to win the competition and qualify for the international rounds in Washington, D.C.
In the oral arguments, the KU team faced teams from the University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, Southern Methodist University, Ohio State University and Washburn University. Professor John Head serves as faculty adviser for the KU team.
Edenfield said the team spent a lot of time preparing this year. Several team members have participated in the competition before, so they had a good idea of what to do to improve.
“Most of the other teams were also extremely well-prepared and the problem was fairly complex, which made for some intense rounds,” she said. “I am really pleased that we took home so many awards. I was honored to be selected for an oralist award.”