SAN FRANCISCO - The Witkin Legal Institute and West, a Thomson Reuters business, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Roger J. Traynor California Appellate Moot Court Competition.
The competition is a nationally recognized appellate moot court competition. Under an arrangement with the State Bar of California, the Witkin Legal Institute and West have administered the competition since 1999.
Prizes were awarded in three categories:
Best Oral Argument: The Roger J. Traynor Award:
• First place – Hastings College of the Law
• Second place – UCLA School of Law
• Special merit – University of San Diego School of Law
Best Brief: The California Academy of Appellate Lawyers Award:
• First place – UCLA School of Law
• Second place – U.C. Berkeley School of Law
• Third place – University of San Francisco School of Law
Excellence in Appellate Advocacy: The Bernard E. Witkin Award:
• First place – UCLA School of Law
• Second place – U.C. Berkeley School of Law
• Third place – University of San Francisco School of Law
In addition, the top individual advocates were recognized:
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Oral Argument
• Frankie DiGiacco – University of San Diego School of Law
• Sarah Jane Fischer – University of California, Davis, School of Law
• Christopher Fredrich – Hastings College of the Law
• Gavin Gruber – Hastings College of the Law
• David Hazlehurst – UCLA School of Law
• Britton Lacy – University of San Diego School of Law
• Kristin Long – Empire College School of Law
• Matthew Olson – McGeorge School of Law
• Caroline Rath – University of West Los Angeles School of Law
• Joshua Siegel – University of West Los Angeles School of Law
All California schools are invited to participate in this annual competition. This year, 47 students from 17 schools participated. The oral argument portion of the competition was held on April 5 at the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles.
The Witkin Legal Institute prepared the problem and administered the competition. The competition consists of two elements: the written brief and the oral argument. The California Academy of Appellate Lawyers awarded cash prizes to each student on the team with the best brief, and West also provided discount vouchers to participants to purchase volumes in the Witkin Library.
The moot court program is a rare opportunity for law students to interact with appellate court justices at a highly sophisticated level in a real courtroom venue. The Traynor competition is unusual in several respects. The problem is drawn from a real case in the California Court of Appeal, the appellate court in which the vast majority of California lawyers appear most frequently, and the real record in the case is used. In addition, judges are drawn from experienced appellate lawyers and members of the California Courts of Appeal. Although teams are assigned to brief either appellant or respondent, they are required to argue both sides of the case during successive rounds of oral argument.
About The Witkin Legal Institute
The Witkin Legal Institute (www.witkin.com) is named for Bernard E. Witkin, California’s preeminent legal scholar. It was established by Bancroft-Whitney (now part of West) and the Witkin Estate in 1996 to carry forward the writing of the Witkin treatises in the clear, thorough, and analytical style that is the hallmark of the Witkin Library. The Institute is devoted to continuing Bernard E. Witkin’s legacy of public service to the bench, bar and other law-related organizations, and to undertaking projects that serve the ongoing education needs of California lawyers, judges, and law students.
About West
Headquartered in Eagan, Minn., West is the foremost provider of integrated information solutions, software and services to the U.S. legal market. West is a business within Thomson Reuters. For more information, please visit the West Web site at west.thomson.com
About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.
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