Students from Samford University Cumberland School of Law competed in the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy regional competition in Las Vegas, Nevada, Feb. 14-18. Two teams from Cumberland School of Law won all three of their preliminary oral arguments and third-year student Chotsani Holifield was the third best advocate in the competition.

 

Two Cumberland School of Law teams joined teams from 18 other law schools  in the moot court competition. Team one included third-year students Chotsani Holifield and Tristan Sulser, and second-year student Hannah Wood. They were coached by Charlie Shah, JD '96. Team two included third-year student Lauren Lester, and second-year students John Koo and Victoria Gurol. They were coached by Emily Hopper, JD '19, and Anna Saunders Knouse, JD '19.

 

Throughout the event, the Cumberland School of Law teams competed against groups from the University of Alabama School of Law, Michigan State University College of Law and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, winning all three of their preliminary oral arguments. The competition problem pertained to snap removal under 28 U.S.C Section 1441(b)(2) and the intellectual property carve-out provision of the Communications Decency Act.

 

In addition to the teams’ success, Holifield represented the law school as the recipient of the third best advocate of the entire competition.

 

Hopper said, "We are proud to continue to develop talented advocates who can perform at such a high level on a national stage. The teams' success is a testament to these students' hard work and skill."