Congratulations to the 2016 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Semifinalists

Congratulations to all who competed in the 2016 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition and special congratulations to this year’s semifinalists:  Samuel Draver, Alicia Kort, Alan Mazzulla, Kayla McCann, Sara McNamara, Amardeep Singh, Natalie Wisco, Samuel Woo. Teams are advancing after four rounds of preliminary competition this past weekend.

Thank you to the numerous judges who graded briefs and heard oral arguments, as well as to all the competitors, who prepared hard for the competition and fought good battles this weekend.

The semifinal round will be held on Thursday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. The teams will be matched as follows:

Samuel Draver and Alan Mazzulla against Alicia Kort and Natalie Wisco in the Trial Courtroom; and Kayla McCann and Samuel Woo against Sara McNamara and Amardeep Singh in the Appellate Courtroom. Marquette students, faculty, and guests are invited to attend the rounds.

Good luck to the semifinalists.

Continue ReadingCongratulations to the 2016 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Semifinalists

State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section Hosts Outstanding Brief Competition

The Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin is hosting its first Outstanding Brief Competition for members of the bar. Any appellate opening or response brief from a case decided in the last year may be entered in the competition. Entries are due by March 31. As noted on the state bar’s website:

The brief writers (and their firms or agencies) will be publicly recognized, and the briefs will be posted to the Appellate Practice Section’s website to serve as models for appellate practitioners. Anyone can nominate a brief – author, colleague, friend, judge, clerk, or other admirer of great legal writing. Nominations will be kept confidential.

The website provides additional details about how to nominate a brief and other qualifications.  Here is a link to use to nominate briefs and to ask questions.  The Appellate Practice Section seeks through this competition to promote excellent brief writing among Wisconsin practitioners.

Continue ReadingState Bar’s Appellate Practice Section Hosts Outstanding Brief Competition

23rd Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction–An Interview with PILS Fellow Windsor Wrolsted

Windsor WrolstedThe 23rd Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction on behalf of the Law School’s Public Interest Law Society (PILS) will be held in the evening on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the Law School.  Proceeds from the event go to support PILS fellowships to enable Marquette law students to do public interest work in the summer.  Windsor Wrolsted, a current law student, shares her experience here as a PILS Fellow.  Besides her work as a PILS Fellow, Windsor is helping to organize this year’s Auction.

Where did you work as a PILS Fellow?

Disability Rights Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

What kind of work did you do there?

I worked closely with attorneys, advocates, and ombudsmen to advocate for persons with both mental and physical disabilities. I advocated for inmate rights within various jail systems, and also the rights of children in need of long-term care. I attended an Administrative Law Judge hearing and got the chance to meet the family of the child we were advocating on behalf of. It was truly memorable to talk with them and hear how their child’s disability was a daily factor in their lives, when realizing that it only took up a few hours of mine. I also attended local Wisconsin Community Services meetings regarding how to combat current mental health issues in Milwaukee. One meeting addressed issues relating to the homeless community, and the other addressed wrongful conviction of individuals with mental disabilities. It was incredible to see leaders from so many different organizations come together and brainstorm practical, long standing solutions.

Continue Reading23rd Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction–An Interview with PILS Fellow Windsor Wrolsted