November 12, 2008

Chicago-Kent College of Law wins moot court

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A team from Chicago-Kent College of Law captured the 17th annual National Health Law Moot Court at the Southern Illinois University School of Law.

The team of Sarah Buck and Cassandra Rdzak placed first in the Nov. 8 finals, earning their school a $1,000 scholarship from the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation. Chicago Kent College of Law defeated the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston in the finals. Northeastern University School of Law’s team of Katherine Scarborough and identical twin sisters, Chris and Deb Freitas received a $750 scholarship -- also from the American College of Legal Medicine.

The team of Leigh Bonsall and Thomas Weber from Loyola University Chicago School of Law finished third, defeating St. Louis University School of Law. Loyola University Chicago School of Law, which lost to Chicago-Kent College of Law in the semifinals, received a $500 scholarship from the legal medicine foundation for finishing in third place.

Thirty-four teams from 25 law schools competed over two days in the nation’s only health law moot court competition.

This is the second time in the event history that a team from Chicago-Kent College of Law won the National Health Law Moot Court competition; a team from Chicago-Kent College of Law also won the title in 1995.

Competitors argued a hypothetical case before the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue was the constitutionality of a state statute that creates a process for a small rural hospital to withdraw life-sustaining treatment for a 72-year-old patient against the wishes of the patient and his family.

The law school’s Center for Health Law and Policy, the School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Humanities, the American College of Legal Medicine, and the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation co-sponsor the event.

Lauren Sneed from South Texas College of Law received best oralist honors both overall, and for the preliminary rounds. She received a $500 scholarship from the ACLM, and another $250 scholarship from the law school’s Center for Health Law and Policy. Loyola University Chicago School of Law submitted the best legal brief; the team received a $500 from the ACLM, and the brief will be published in the “Journal of Legal Medicine.” Chicago-Kent College of Law submitted the second-place brief, and received a $250 scholarship from the law school’s Center for Health Law and Policy.

Panelists for the final round of competition were Michael P. McCuskey, chief judge, U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois; Ronald A. Guzman, district judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; Thaddeus M. Pope, associate professor and member of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law; and Michael Raskin, president of the American College of Legal Medicine.

Participating law schools were Albany Law School, Albany, N.Y.; Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York, N.Y.; Boston University School of Law; Chicago-Kent College of Law; Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, Philadelphia; Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta; Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minn.; Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, Ind.; Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis; John Marshall School of Law, Chicago; Loyola University School of Law, Boston; St. Louis University School of Law; Samford University Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham, Ala.; Seton Hall School of Law, Newark, N.J.; South Texas College of Law, Houston; Suffolk University Law School, Boston; University of Kansas School of Law, University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law; University of Maryland School of Law; University of New Mexico School of Law; University of Oklahoma College of Law; University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and University of Tulsa College of Law.