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Moot Court: A Great Year!
Summer 2007
Second-year student Jim Keefer is a retired Vice President from Ford Motor Company, having headed a division where he managed over twenty employees and regularly had to present news to the Board of Directors. But he says that nothing prepares you for the experience of Moot Court.
“It’s a whole different world when you have to get up and talk in front of several judges,” explains Keefer. “Moot Court taught me that half of the battle is learning that you’re up there to instruct, and that you frequently know more about a specific point of law than they do,” he says.
Keefer was part of the Pace National Environmental Law competition, where UDM has a strong record of success. This year’s team made the national semifinals, and teammate Sam McCrimmon captured the best oralist award in a preliminary round. This year’s success comes on the heels of a visit to the national finals by last year’s team.
The entire Moot Court program enjoyed it’s strongest year in recent memory. The Niagara Cup team—composed of Kelly Benson, Timothea Leung, Ivars Steins, Ryan Sheahan, and student coach Tiffany Frederick--captured the national championship, beating out the team from American University, and increasing UDM’s profile nationally. Sean Cowley, next year’s Moot Court Executive Director, swept the best oralist awards for the McGee National Civil Rights competition. The Immigration Law Team won the best brief award, besting teams from schools such as Harvard and Columbia.
Student interest in the board has risen to new levels, as evidenced by the record number of students who try out—nearly 100 in each of the past two years. This interest has been bolstered in large part by alumni participation. Alumni have served as coaches and as practice judges for student teams, helping them to hone their arguments, and have provided valuable feedback and encouragement to Moot Court members.
For more information or to get involved, please contact Sean Cowley, Executive Director, at cowleysm@students.udmercy.edu, or 313-596-0221.

