Center For Excellence In Advocacy Annual Awards Ceremony
Washburn University School of Law held its Center for Excellence in Advocacy Annual Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 6, 2009, at the Bradbury Thompson Center on the Washburn University campus.
The keynote speaker for the event was Paul R. Hoferer, a 1975 graduate of Washburn University School of Law. Hoferer is a Retired Vice President and General Counsel for BNSF Railway Co., and currently serves as Of Counsel with Lathrop & Gage LLP.
Hoferer provided a few tips to the law students, and he said the most important things when trying a case are credibility with the jury, being logical, and making sense to the jury.
"Personal injury cases are tough," Hoferer said. "Always make sure that you're civil to opposing counsel. There's a lot of heat in these cases, and there’s a lot of hard feelings. But remember — you are a professional, and you owe it to the profession. You should always be very proud of what you do... You perform a very valuable service. You should hold your head up high."
He continued, "In life, nothing is more important than attitude. You've got to remain positive, and you know what, don’t let negative people hang around you. They suck the life out of you."
Hoferer concluded by saying, "Enjoy the journey. You're going to have a wonderful career."
Moot Court Council Presentations
Kimberly M.J. Lynch, Moot Court President, reviewed the 2008-2009 competitions:
- Philip C. Jessup International Law Competition
Competition, Houston, Texas
Competitors: Erica Lopez, Sean Pribyl, Travis Turner, and Jeremy Schrag
Coach: Professor William G. Merkel - Regional Competition of the National Moot Court Tournament
University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, Nebraska
Competitors: Kenneth DeLaughder and Jayson Watkins
Coach: Professor Jeffrey D. Jackson - J. Braxton Craven Memorial Moot Court Competition
University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, NC
Competitors: Jeffrey Dazey and Robert Weaver
Coach: Professor Rory D. Bahadur - John J. Gibbons Criminal Law Competition
Seton Hall University, Newark, New Jersey
Competitors: Jennifer Thoms and Alice Hughes
Coach: Professor Randall L. Hodgkinson - Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Competition
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Competitors: Kimberly M.J. Lynch and Krystal Baer
Coach: Professor Jeffrey D. Jackson - Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition
Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, Delaware
Competitors: Angela Carlon and Andrew Clark
Coach: Professor Jeffrey D. Jackson - Thurgood A. Marshall Federal Bar Association Moot Court Competition
Washington, D.C.
Competitors: Adam Andersen and Blake Murray
Coach: Regan R. Duckworth
Competitors: Kari Burks and Regan Duckworth
Coach: Professor Tonya Kowalski
The Lester M. Goodell Awards
Since 1969, the Topeka law firm Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P. has sponsored the annual Lester M. Goodell Memorial Intramural Moot Court Competition conducted each fall.. Initially, the Goodell Award recognized the top oralist in the competition. In 1979, a second award was created to recognize the top brief writer. The name of each recipient is engraved on the Goodell trophies and plaque, which are permanently on display at Washburn University School of Law. The tryout competition includes a final round in which the top four oralists from the preliminary round competed for the Lester M. Goodell Best Oralist Award. This year's final oral argument round, held in the Robinson Courtroom, was presided over by The Honorable Lee A. Johnson, The Honorable Tom Malone and The Honorable Stephen D. Hill all from the Kansas Court of Appeals. In addition, Gerald Goodell, from Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P. and son of Lester M. Goodell, also judged the final round.
2008-2009 Recipients of the Lester M. Goodell Awards
Top Oralist: Adam Andersen
Top Brief Writer: Andrew Clark
Alice Hughes and Jennifer Thoms.
John K. Kleinheksel Prize for Excellence in Oral Advocacy
This endowed prize fund has been established through a gift to the Washburn Law School Foundation from John K. Kleinheksel. The prize is divided among the members of the Moot Court team who achieve the highest final ranking in an interschool competition.
2008-2009 Recipients: Jeffrey Dazey, Robert Weaver
Faculty Brief Award
The Faculty Brief Award is presented each year to team members who author the best intermural competition brief. The Moot Court Faculty Committee chose from among briefs written by Washburn Moot Court interscholastic competition teams.
2008-2009 Recipients: Jennifer Thoms, Alice Hughes
Trial Advocacy Awards
with the Max Rowinsky Award for Outstanding
Student in Trial Advocacy.
Max Rowinsky Award for Outstanding Student
This award honors the late Max Rowinsky, a noted trial lawyer who practiced in the Shawnee and Johnson County Public Defenders Offices. The award is presented to the outstanding student in the current year's Trial Advocacy class.
2008-2009 Recipient: Jonathon Noble
The American Board of Trial Advocates Award
The ABOTA Award honors Dick Sangster, a 1955 graduate of Washburn University School of Law. Mr. Sangster served on the national board of the American Board of Trial Advocates. The award is presented to a second-year law student in the current year's Trial Advocacy class who shows outstanding promise as a trial attorney.
2008-2009 Recipients: Paul Cope, Angela Herrington
The Order of Barristers Award
The Order of Barristers is a national honorary organization whose purpose is the encouragement of oral advocacy and brief writing skills through effective law school oral advocacy programs. The Order seeks to improve these skills through interscholastic sharing of ideas, information, and resources. The Order also provides national recognition for individuals who have excelled in advocacy and service at their respective school.
The Order originated in 1965 at the University of Texas School of Law. It became a national organization in 1970. Washburn University School of Law is a charter member of The Order. Schools having charters in The Order include those nationally recognized for outstanding moot court programs.
An individual selected to The Order receives the highest honor a law student can attain for distinction in oral advocacy. Since 1973, this honor has been one of the few law school achievements recognized by Martindale-Hubbell in its biography of lawyers.
2009 Inductees: Adam Andersen, Kari Burks, Angela Carlon, Regan Duckworth, Allison English, Danielle Hall, Joseph Ledbetter, Kimberly Lynch, Vincent Rivera, Jayson Watkins
Other Recognition
Client Counseling Competition
Shawn Leisinger, competition coach, reviewed the year and recognized the competitors.
Competitors were Joseph Ledbetter, Elizabeth Oliver, Charles Sunwabe, and Timothy Woods
Negotiation Competition
Shawn Leisinger, competition coach, reviewed the year and recognized the competitors.
Competitors were Jennifer Amyx, Kimberly Honeycutt, Angela Carlon, and Joseph Ledbetter.
