November 15, 2006

Cooley Wins Michigan Moot Court Competition

Eight Cooley Law School students have won the 2006 Michigan Moot Court Competition. Cooley sent two teams to the Nov. 12 competition, each composed of four students. Competing in the event, which was held at Wayne State University Law School, were Mark Frisbie, Harold Hardy, Matthew Hoffer, Olivier Lindemann, Catherine Ritter, Tracie Tomak, James Schehner, and Mpoli Simwanza. This is the first time students from Cooley have won this particular competition.

Lindemann and Simwanza argued and beat teams from Wayne State University and Ave Maria Law School to advance to the final round of the competition. The competition was both challenging and thrilling.

"When our team kept advancing in the competition it was very exciting. When we found out we would be arguing in the final round in front of three Michigan Supreme Court Justices that was absolutely incredible," noted Lindemann.

The finals were judged by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Clifford Taylor, Michigan Supreme Court Justices Maura Corrigan and Marilyn Kelly, and Miller Canfield Law Firm senior partner Matthew Leitman. In the finals, Lindemann and Simwanza won over a second team of students from Ave Maria Law School.

The issues presented in this year’s competition involved the economic loss doctrine, statutes of limitation, and the impact of fraud in the inducement and fraudulent concealment on these concepts. Students were required to both write an appellate brief, and to argue these issues before different panels of judges.

Simwanza also won an award for Second Place Oralist in the competition, and the team composed of Hardy, Hoffer, Lindemann, and Simwanza won the award for the Third Best Appellate Brief.

The experience gained will last a lifetime. Commented Lindemann, a senior, "I've had an amazing time here at Cooley law, with a number of wonderful successes. This was definitely a great way to cap off a great experience, and I know that I'll have these fantastic memories wherever I go."

Teammate Simwanza concurred. Also a senior, Simwanza noted, "Winning the competition was a great way to end what has been a wonderful experience here at Cooley. To top it off, my teammates and the coaches certainly made the whole experience an unforgettable one."

The students were coached by Cooley Professors Tonya Krause-Phelan and Kathy Swedlow.