The team of Karen Milia and Alexander Annunziato, both second year students, won regional first place at the American Bar Association (ABA) National Client Counseling Competition finals at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. As winners of the southeast regional competition and the only team to earn perfect scores in each round of the competition, Milia and Annunziato received automatic bids to represent the Law Center in the national finals.
There were 12 regional winners from Canada and the U.S. that competed for the national title. Of the 137 teams from the 95 ABA member schools that entered the competition, the Law Center team was one of only six teams to advance to the semi-final round. The ABA Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition simulates a law office consultation in which law students, acting as attorneys, are presented with a client matter. They conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client and then explain how they would proceed further in the hypothetical situation.
The Law Center is scheduled to host the Region 5 competition in February 2013. Professors Cleveland and Braccialarghe, along with student Jennifer Rosinski, assisted the team with the competition.
Final rankings and other information about the 2011 competition can be found here: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_students/events_competitions/practical_skills_competitions/clientcounseling_home.html