UGA LAW SCHOOL WINS REGIONAL TITLE IN JESSUP COMPETITION

Abstract

Wednesday, February 21, 2001

WRITER: Jennifer Bogan, (706) 542-5172

CONTACT: Kellie Casey, (706) 542-2739

UGA LAW SCHOOL WINS REGIONAL TITLE IN JESSUP COMPETITION

ATHENS, Ga. - - For the sixth time, the University of Georgia School of Law has claimed the championship in the Southeastern Regionals of the 42nd Annual Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. The UGA team also captured the awards for Best Oralist (Clint Pridgen) and Third Best Brief in the competition.

With this weekend's overall team victory, UGA secures a bid to the international finals in Washington, D.C. April 1 - 7, where national teams from ten regions will compete against champions from around the world.

In 1996 and 1994, UGA won the national championship and reached the Final Four of the international rounds; UGA also won the national title in 1991, and both the national and international titles in 1990.

Representing UGA were second-year law students Claudia Campo, Rob McNiff, Clint Pridgen and Megan Watkins. Third-year student Anne Allen Westbrook served as student coach and former world champion team member Myra Creighton, now partner at Atlanta law firm Fisher & Phillips, acted as team advisor and coach.

"The Georgia team perfected the art of appellate advocacy in the nation's most challenging moot court competition involving issues of international law," said Kellie Casey, the law school's director of advocacy. "Each and every team member had excellent rounds, and all were complimented on their ability to argue the law without notes."

This year's hypothetical case concerns a dispute between two nations over their water boundary and the legality under international law of a seabed mining facility operated by one of the countries. UGA went 6-0 in the regional competition, defeating Stetson, St. Thomas University, Nova and South Carolina in the preliminary rounds; the University of Miami in the semifinals; and the University of Florida in the finals, in a unanimous decision.

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