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NEWS
MARCH I, 2004
Kansas walks away with moot court title:
By Robin Briscoe/
The University Daily
They dealt with the ma.ss murder
of 200 people. Students from the
southwest region came to the Texas
Tech School of Law to argue the jurisdiction of a war-crime scenario
during a mock court session.
"It's something similar to a debate, but more complex," Associate
Dean for Administration and External Affairs Richard Rosen said.
Tech'~ law school hosted the
Philip C. Jessup International Law
Moot Court Competition this weekend. Rosen said he hopes it will put
the law school on the map.
"Let people know we exist,"
Rosen said. "Most law students don't
know we're here."
Five-member teams £roni 12 universities have been preparing for the
mock court scenario since the fall.
An anny lieutenant was given
"I want to see how you think on
He added their arguments in genfau\Jy information that led to the your feet," Quinn told the competi- , eral needed to move quicker. ,
murder of men, women and chil- tors.
'Huffman said they seemed to be
dren. A professor published articles
The quality of advocacy was tre- SO focused on their arguments they
asking people to rise up and fight,
mendous, Rosen said. All of the did notlisten to the judge's
questions
,
rounds were'close.
leading to deaths.
as much as they should. Confidence
Team members were as good as of position also is a key compOnent.
Students used advocacy and articulation skills to convince a panel , attorneys in the 7th Court of ApBlIt other aspects went well.
of three judges on the interna~ibnal peals, Quinn said.
"Absolutely superb on your legal
court justice their respective state
Throughout the weekend pre- analysis/' Ramirez told the partici~
should ha~e jurisdiction in the war liminary rounds decided the finalists.
pants.
crimes.
The Universiry of Kansas and UniHe also said he saw good appli", "
It is a timely topic, Rosen said, versity of New Mexico made it to the cation of l~w.
because the United States is not a final roiInd on Sunday morning.
The University of Kansas won
party to the court.
Before announcing the willner, the competition. The team started
Judge of the 7th Court of Appeals the judges gave the remaining teams working toward the competition in '
'
Brian Quinn; Director of Interna- advice.
Septem1:>er, said facultY adviser John
All three judges said the law stu- Head.
tional Programs Jorge Ramirez; and
, 'the professor oflaw at Kansas beLaw School Dean Walter Huffman dents needed to spend more time
assumed the roles of judges for the communicating with the judge. '
lieves his team walked away on top
international court justice. They also
Ramirez told the two te~ms on because of the ability to answer quesjudged the competition.
Sunday he had concerns about mem- ' tions posed by the judges.
While students argued their bers directly addressing the judge's
"It was a lot of work, but an
questions.
cases, the judges asked questions.
honor," Rosen said of hosting the
,
JAIME TOMAS AGUlLAR/The Vnwel'lity~
DEAN AND PROFESSOR at the Texas Tech Schoo\ of 4W Wal~er
Huffman, left, and adjunct professor and 7th Court of'Appeals Justice
Brian Quinn hear arguments as the Internatio~al Cour~ of Justice
the moot trial competition Sunday morning at the law school.
' , ;:
ic.
event.
He said it could be' as long as a
decade before Tech gets a chance to
host another competition. Itis hard
to tell and depends on many' thin~;
he added.