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The 2024 Duke PreLaw Fellowship (@dukeprelawfellowship) concluded yesterday with a student mock trial featuring a compelling eviction case. Students participated by arguing and evaluating a case that involved a landlord, “Lord Marvin Richardson,“ who was committed to the concept of affordable housing but was providing substandard housing to a single-mother tenant, “Geneva Jenkins,” who refused to continue paying for a substandard apartment. The landlord’s argument relied on Jenkins’s not paying rent for the past three months. The tenant’s argument was centered around Lord Richardson’s failure to make any repairs for nine months. After hearing the arguments, the jury sided with the Defendant, Geneva Jenkins! 🎉 Clinical Prof. Jesse McCoy, faculty director of the Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program, said, “Mock trials are designed to challenge students who have never done this before on how to actively listen, be persuasive and effective litigators, and gain trial experience. Students are daunted by the process but have always risen to the occasion to zealously advocate for their clients. This year was no exception, and I could not be more proud of this cohort.” Congratulations to all participants on a job well done! 👏

Landon Zimmer T’04 ’07 MBA’12, a triple Duke alum and @ncdotcom Board member, celebrated the recent dedication of Hwy. N.C. 751 as ‘Coach K Highway’ — honoring legendary @dukembb coach Mike Krzyzewski. 🏀🐐👏 Zimmer views this dedication as “a permanent reminder of all Coach K has done for our community and state.” He praised the collaborative effort of NCDOT, @dukeuniversity, and the Durham City Council for making the idea to honor Coach K a reality. On May 31, Coach K returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the highway dedication ceremony, joined by Duke President Vincent Price, Durham officials, and N.C. DOT leadership, including Zimmer. “It was a meaningful experience, particularly as a Duke graduate, to witness the impact of honoring someone who has contributed so much to our state,” Zimmer said. “I really wanted to make sure that North Carolina recognized Coach K in a tangible and visible way that people from across our state—or those just traveling through it—could also appreciate.” During the ceremony, Coach K expressed his gratitude and talked about what the honor meant for him and his family. “The highway signifies the journey of me, my wife, Mickie, and my family for the last 44 years. When we came to Durham, we found a home. Durham is our home,” he said. For Zimmer, it was an opportunity to pay tribute to someone who has given so much, especially to Duke and its students. Zimmer said camping out in K-ville in 2001 was a standout college memory. That year, Coach K and his players dropped by with pizzas. 🍕🍕 “To see Coach K and the players come out and appreciate what we were doing certainly helped create a sense of community.” Congratulations to Coach K on this well-deserved recognition!

Last week, our Pre Law Fellows (@dukeprelawfellowship) hit the road to tour Robinson Bradshaw (@robinson_bradshaw) and speak with a few alums, including Glen Caplan ’02, Andrew Wagner ’18, Clara Nieman ’23, and other lawyers such as Preetha Rini and Elizabeth Tedford. While at the firm, the students learned about maintaining a work-life balance, money management, and the day-to-day tasks of a lawyer. The fellows also had the opportunity to tour another law school and dine at a local restaurant. Thank you to the lawyers at Robinson Bradshaw for meeting with the fellows!