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Duke Team Wins National Moot Court Competition

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The Duke Law team of 3Ls Audry Casusol, Sara Wickware, and April Nelson won the National Moot Court Competition in New York City on Feb. 2. More than 250 teams entered the competition, which is sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the New York City Bar. This Duke team also won first place in the Regional finals in the fall. Among other honors, their brief was recognized as the best in the competition, and April Nelson was named second best oralist. This is the first time Duke Law School has won this competition.

"On behalf of the entire Law School community, I want to congratulate our winning team and tell them how proud we are of them," said Dean Katharine Bartlett. "This is a fantastic achievement, requiring enormous talent, hard work, and commitment." Dean Bartlett also offered special thanks to team Coach Jim Maxwell ’66 and Associate Dean for Student Affairs Jill Miller for “their special devotion and support to this team.”

After competing in preliminary rounds against Drake University and Mercer University, the Duke Law team eliminated Brooklyn Law School in the octafinal round, and the University of Washington in the quarterfinals. In the semifinal round, they avenged a preliminary round loss, eliminating Drake, and achieved victory over Memphis Law School in the finals.

"There is no competition more prestigious than this,” said Moot Court Co-chair Amy Kalman ’06. “Duke has become a nationally known name in Moot Court and oral advocacy."