November 18, 2004
National Health Law Moot Court Competition South Texas College of Law wins competition
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A team from the South Texas College of Law won the 13th annual National Health Law Moot Court Competition held at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's law school.
The team of Darla Canon, Marianne Green and Carrie Martin placed first in the Nov. 13 competition, and their school receives a $1,000 scholarship from the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation. The team also authored the runner-up Best Brief, and receives a $250 scholarship from the SIUC law school's Center for Health Law and Policy.
Twenty-one teams from fifteen law schools from around the country participated in the two-day event at SIUC's Hiram H. Lesar Law Building. The teams consisted of second- and third-year law school students.
The victory by South Texas College of Law marks the fourth time in the last five years that the Houston-based law school won the event - the only health law competition in the country.
In addition, judges named Carrie Martin of South Texas College of Law as both the best preliminary round and best overall oralist. She receives a $750 scholarship.
South Texas defeated last year's champion, University of Tulsa College of Law, in the finals. The University of Tulsa team, comprised of Jeffrey Heater and Jason Lile, receives a $750 scholarship from the ACLM. The team also earned recognition for writing the best brief submitted by participating schools and receives a $500 scholarship.
The University of New Mexico School of Law team, consisting of Cody Rogers and Bradley Sims, finished third and receives a $500 scholarship.
The judges for the final round were U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Julio M. Fuentes, who graduated with a bachelor's degree from SIUC in 1971; U.S. District Court Judge J. Phil Gilbert of the Southern District of Illinois; and Theodore R. Leblang of Springfield, president of the American College of Legal Medicine. LeBlang is also chair of SIUC Medical School Medical Humanities Department.
Six panelists from the American College of Legal Medicine judged briefs submitted by the students.
Competition sponsors are SIUC's law school Center for Health Law and Policy, SIUC School of Medicine's Department of Medical Humanities, the American College of Legal Medicine and the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation.