December 7, 2011

Cooley Law School Students Excel in National Moot Court Competition

Left to right: Professor Toree Randall, Matthew Gauthier, and Professor Erika Breitfeld. Not pictured: Lauren Raynor.

On Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 2011 Auburn Hills students Matthew Gauthier and Lauren Raynor earned a place among the final four teams in the Michigan-Ohio regional of the prestigious National Moot Court Competition sponsored by the New York City Bar.  Not only did Gauthier and Raynor excel in oral argument, but they also earned an award for submitting the 4th best brief.

Cooley Auburn Hills finished highest among all of the participating Michigan teams. Participating schools included Capital University Law School, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cooley Law School, University of Toledo College of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Wayne State University Law School, and University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

In head-to-head competition, Auburn Hills students defeated University of Toledo and Case Western teams.  In the semi-final round, Gauthier and Raynor gave an strong performance, but lost by a small margin to the eventual regional champions, a second Case Western team.

Professors Erika Breitfeld and Toree Randall coached the team. Associate Dean John Nussbaumer, Associate Professos Alan Gershel, and Visiting Professor John Zevalking provided invaluable feedback during practice rounds.

Teams from Cleveland Marshall and Case Western will advance to the national finals in New York.

About Thomas M. Cooley Law School:
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation.  Founded in 1972, the private, nonprofit law school operates its Juris Doctor program, Joint Degree programs, and Master of Laws programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Cooley recently announced a new Tampa Bay, Florida-area campus, with courses beginning in May 2012.  Cooley has more than 15,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and offers enrollment three times a year in January, May and September. Cooley is an independent law school, accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission. Additional information can be found at cooley.edu.