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GEORGIA LAW ADVOCACY TEAMS FINISH STRONG IN SPRING COMPETITIONS

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Monday, March 8, 2004

WRITER: Brittany Cox, 706/542-5172, lawcomm@uga.edu CONTACT: Kellie Casey, 706/542-2739, krcasey@uga.edu

GEORGIA LAW ADVOCACY TEAMS FINISH STRONG IN SPRING COMPETITIONS

ATHENS, Ga. – Members of the University of Georgia School of Law’s advocacy teams captured a championship title and two second-place finishes in recent competitions.

“This year’s advocacy teams have represented the law school extremely well,” Director of Advocacy Kellie R. Casey said. “They raise the bar with every competition, and we are so proud of all they have accomplished thus far this academic year.”

A UGA team defeated Stetson University to win the regional title at the 2004 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition held Feb. 26-28 at Emory University. In addition, they were recognized as having the competition’s second best brief.

The winning team was comprised of second-year students Sonali Garg, Amelia (Amy) Godfrey, Kimberly D. Grant and John C. Marler. Individual oralist honors were presented to Godfrey (first) and Marler (third). Third-year student Dawn S. Caesar served as the team’s coach, and third-year student J. Brian Edwards was the team’s editor.

In late March, this team will advance to the upcoming national and international competitions in Washington, D.C. Georgia Law captured the regional title in both 2001 and 2002, and in both years they made it to the world championship quarterfinals.

Other moot court team members also had a strong showing at the Vanderbilt First Amendment Moot Court Competition Feb. 25-27 in Nashville, Tenn. Third-year students Susannah D. Rogers and Beth L. Cavagnolo placed second out of 32 national teams, losing to Western New England Law in the final round of competition.

Additionally, mock trial team members added to their moot court counterparts’ success. Georgia Law finished second out of 16 teams in the Association of Trial Lawyers of America Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition Feb. 20-22 in Jacksonville, Fla.

The team, comprised of third-year students Mary Catherine Begnaud and Andrew H. Speaker and second-year students Will R. Claiborne and Charmel L. Gaulden, lost by only one point to Stetson University.

This is the third year in a row Georgia Law teams have fared well in the ATLA Student Trial Advocacy Competition. Past teams have captured the regional championship title in 2002 and 2001 and claimed the national title in 1997.

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