Center for Advocacy Highlights for 2017-2018
CENTER FOR ADVOCACY CELEBRATES 10th BIRTHDAY
NEW TOURNAMENTS. In the 10 years since the Center for Advocacy was birthed, the CFA has launched a national tournament, The Summit Cup, and an intra-school mentoring tournament, The Advocates Cup, thereby bringing the CFA’s total to 3 in-house and 1 national trial-advocacy tournament hosted each year.
10 NEW COURSES IN 10 YEARS. The CFA has created 10 new courses and programs all of which support the CFA’s number one goal, to help students get jobs and excel in those jobs upon graduation.
SHOUTING OUT TO OUR ALUMNI. The CFA relies heavily on its strong corps of Adjunct Instructors and its alumni database of over 1,100 active local-area attorneys and judges. The CFA’s emphasis on professional education has garnered a place in the Top 20 best advocacy programs in the country in 6 of the last 7 years (per USNWR), reaching as high as 6th in the country.
BRINGING HOME SOME NATIONAL HARDWARE.
The CFA sponsors 12 moot court teams that travel internationally to compete in educational exercises and tournaments, as well as sponsor its National Trial Team which annually participates in 8 trial advocacy events across the country. This year the National Trial Team has crowned the Buffalo-Niagara Trial Advocacy Champions, which is the largest nation’s largest invitational trial advocacy tournament.
Pictured (L to R) David Schott – CFA Director; Coach Diana Sada, Students Doyle Bode, Sam Gangemi, Abby Hegarty, Josh Mangelli, and Coach Chris Wilcox.
Additionally, our Mediation Moot Court team won the ABA Representation in Mediation National Competition in Washington, D.C. where over 90 teams competed.
Our Transactional Moot Court team was crowned National Champions at the Transactional LawMeet.
Did You Know? The National Trial Team placed in the “Semi-Finals or Better” in 8 of its last 9 national invitational tournaments (with 3 “near-misses” as Finalists). However, CFA Director, David C. Schott, is always quick to emphasize, “While winning tournaments is fun, the CFA’s focus continues to be on ‘learning first’ with the ultimate mission being to create professionally-ready graduates to enter our ‘Profession That Takes The Oath’.” It seems to be working. The National Trial Team continues with its 100% Colorado Bar Passage rate for its graduating members, and 100% job placement for all graduating National Trial Team members within 6 months of licensure.
THE CFA’S CONCENTRATION IN TRIAL ADVOCACY & LITIGATION CONTINUES TO GROW
Twenty-four students successfully earned the CFA’s “Concentration in Trial Advocacy & Litigation”. This achievement requires each student to complete at least 24 credit hours with a “B” average or better in trial advocacy-related and professionally-focused courses. Additionally, if they so choose, students can earn a “Focus” in either civil litigation or criminal litigation within their Concentration.
WHAT’S NEXT - Want to Share Your Wisdom? If you’d like to help our students prepare for entry into our profession, please contact CFA Director, David Schott (DSchott@law.du.edu) to get signed up as a Ruling Judge or a Scoring Juror in any of the 2018-2019 trial advocacy tournaments: The Summit Cup – October 4, 5, 6; The Hoffman Cup – November 2, 3, 4; The Advocates Cup - April 5, 6, 7. All volunteers receive a 20% discount on Trial Boom’s new CLE-approved (8 General & 2 Ethics Credits) courtroom simulator (priced at $119)
