Legal Education – Page 71 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Two More Terrific Arguments in Boston

Post author:Jessica E. Slavin
Post published:March 12, 2010
Post category:Legal Education Marquette Law School

A win and a loss, but excellent arguments in any event. The loss was a little heartbreaking, in that it was by half of one point.

I remain optimistic for our teams’ chances in the next round, the final preliminary round, which will take place tomorrow morning. These students are incredible oral advocates. I wish I had video tape of each of the rounds I’ve seen. It has been a pleasure to sit in the audience, beaming with pride at Marquette’s moot court program. I will keep you “posted” on our progress tomorrow.

Both Marquette Teams Win Their First Round of Oral Argument at the Boston Regional

Post author:Jessica E. Slavin
Post published:March 11, 2010
Post category:Legal Education Marquette Law School

I am currently in Boston serving as coach to two teams of Marquette law students who are competing in the National Appellate Advocacy Competition’s Boston Regional Competition. The teams are Alyssa Dowse, Rachel Helmers, and Nicholas Harken (this month’s student blogger); and Jesica Ballenger, Lindsey Johnson, and Allison Ziegler. This evening at 5:30 p.m. both teams argued off brief in their first round. I am delighted to report that both teams won!

The next round happens tomorrow evening. Both teams will be arguing on brief, so I am feeling very optimistic about their chances. Wish the teams luck! I will keep you posted.

(Note: The Liberty Hotel, pictured above, which is hosting most of the out-of-town competitors, is in Beacon Hill on the site of the historic Charles Street Jail.)

A Broadening of Diversity Jurisdiction

Post author:Joseph D. Kearney
Post published:February 23, 2010
Post category:Civil Procedure Eastern District of Wisconsin Federal Civil Litigation Legal Education U.S. Supreme Court

Students of civil procedure—which should mean just about everybody interested in using the formal processes of the law to vindicate rights—will be interested in a decision today by the United States Supreme Court. The opinion concerned the provision in the statutory grant of diversity jurisdiction that deems a corporation “to be a citizen of any State by which it has been incorporated and of the State where it has its principal place of business.” 28 U. S. C. §1332(c)(1) (emphasis added). There has been a longstanding imprecision—a lack of unanimity—within the lower federal courts as to whether a corporation’s “principal place of business” is its “nerve center,” “locus of operations,” “center of corporate activities,” “muscle center” (none of these latter four terms being statutory), or some otherwise determined place. In Hertz Corp. v. Friend, the Court resolved the matter.