Northern Kentucky Salmon P. Chase College of Law Wins 2009 Child Welfare & Adoption Law Moot Court Competition

March 18, 2009

On March 13 and 14, the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy and Capital University Law School hosted the fourth annual National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare & Adoption Law.  The event attracted 22 teams from 16 law schools across the country, including Loyola University Chicago School of Law, University of Colorado School of Law, University of San Diego School of Law, and Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School .  Seven oral argument rounds were held at the Ohio Statehouse and the Ohio Judicial Center, home of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

The 2009 competition focused on "Interstate Placement: Challenges to Timely Permanency." 

In a very close final round match with the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Northern Kentucky Salmon P. Chase College of Law prevailed as the 2009 National Champion.  Northern Kentucky also won last year’s competition and in doing so became the first team in the competition’s history to win twice. The final round panel, which was presided over by the Honorable Maureen O’Connor, Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, included Jack Guttenberg, Dean of Capital University Law School and representatives of the competition’s national partners:  Karen Greenberg of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys; Gerard Glynn of the National Association of Counsel for Children; and LaShanda Taylor of the ABA Center on Children & the Law.  

Capital University Law School 's Adoption Law Moot Court Team, coached by attorney Lisa Eschleman, L’87, of Mary-Nienaber-Foster and Rebekah Meister showed a strong performance in this national competition. During the first day of competition, Mary and Rebekah argued as both the petitioner and respondent in three preliminary rounds. Given their strong performance on their oral argument and written brief, they advanced to the second day of competition. Capital's team lost in the fourth round on Saturday to Northern Kentucky, the national champions.

A competition of this size would not have been possible without the 130 judges, magistrates, attorneys, law professors, students, and community members who volunteered their time for this event.

Special recognition goes to the competition’s national partners: the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA), the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC), the ABA Center on Children & the Law, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  For the third year in a row, AAAA and NACC have donated cash awards for the winning teams.  AAAA also generously supports the event with a $2,500 annual, three-year pledge that began with the 2007 competition, as well as donating plaques for the winning team and school and a perpetual plaque of winning teams that is displayed at Capital University Law School.