Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sat, 28 Feb 2009
It was an exhilarating time for Liberty University School of Law this month as three teams competed in two different American Bar Association (ABA) competitions—both in the same day.
Two teams traveled to Boston for the ABA Negotiation Competition National Finals after placing first and third in the region last fall. The team of Kari Ostendorf Coble and Jordan Van Matre, both second-year law students (2Ls), finished tenth in the nation, while the 2L team of Brian Locker and Cherie Burton finished sixteenth.
Liberty was one of only two schools to advance two teams to the National Finals, and the only school to place both teams in the top sixteen. This is the second year in a row that Liberty University School of Law has sent two teams to the National Finals.
Joel Hesch, Assistant Professor of Law at Liberty, helped coach the teams in preparation for the event. “I am extremely proud of both teams. They were remarkable. Liberty has demonstrated that our students can more than compete against any school in the country,” he said.
Liberty also traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for the ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition.
Alonzo Davis and Erica Nelson, both 2Ls, gave a stellar performance during the final round of the competition, placing third in the region.
Mathew Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented on the teams’ success: “Our 2L teams have ranked high both regionally and nationally, and the depth of talent is very impressive. This is an amazing accomplishment and we are very proud. As they succeed, we all succeed.”