Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Tue, 24 Feb 2015
Dave Thompson

Liberty University School of Law competition teams continued their hot streak this year, as the school’s mediation team won the regional ABA Representation in Mediation competition in Gainesville, Fla. over the weekend.

Professor Basyle Tchividjian and Director of Academic Support Caleb Sweazey coached the teams.
 
Alexandra Hubbard and Hope Whitehead defeated a team from the University of Buffalo to seal their victory, after beating teams from the University of Florida and George Mason University to advance to the finals.
 
Professor Tchividjian called the final round “undoubtedly the best performance I have ever witnessed by one of our mediation teams.”
 
Liberty’s second team, Joshua Turner and John Scott, beat teams from Emory University and University of Florida, but did not advance to the final round.
 
“These were two of the best teams I have had the pleasure coaching in a very long time,” Tchividjian said. “We are grateful to God for His generosity and are looking forward to nationals in Seattle this April.”
 
Liberty’s competition teams have seen significant success this year.
 
A Liberty moot court team also took first place at the ABA’s regional appellate advocacy competition, and will compete in the national competition in Chicago, in April.
 
Also, in recent competitions, Liberty’s tax moot court team took second place at the National Tax Moot Court Competition sponsored by the Florida Bar Tax Section. The team of Charles Helm and Mia Yugo defeated teams from the University of Baltimore, Texas Tech, Suffolk, and the University of Oregon. U.S. Tax Court trial judges judged the final round of the competition.
 
Professor Timothy Todd coached the team, and praised their hard work. “I’m very proud of our team,” he said. “This was our first year entering the competition, and our team performed exceedingly well. To make the final round in our first year is a testament to our students and their hard work.”
 
Liberty’s trial team suffered close losses in its most recent performance in the National Trial Competition in Houston.
 
Melanie Caldwell and Tinisha Bowles-Densford unanimously defeated a team from University of Virginia in the first round, but suffered split-decision losses to Howard University and Catholic University.
 
Corey Crigger and Michael Sharp lost in a split decision to George Washington University in round one, unanimously defeated a team from the University of Maryland in the second round, but took another split-decision loss against an American University team that advanced to the national competition.
 
Professor Pam Bell said she was proud of the teams despite the loss. “The team competed well and at a level worthy of advancing to the national finals. Most importantly, we were always professional and ethical,” she said. “Even when we did not win, the judges were very complimentary. They represented LU, LUSOL, and our Lord in an exemplary manner.”