Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Page 4
Court of Appeal to Host Moot Court Competition
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Div. Six of this district’s Court of Appeal will host its Third Annual Moot Court Honors Competition next week, the Administrative Office of the Courts reported yesterday.
The competition will begin at 2 p.m. next Tuesday, at the court’s headquarters at 200 E. Santa Clara Street in Ventura.
Three law schools will compete—Ventura College of Law, Santa Barbara College of Law, and University of West Los Angeles School of Law. Students will argue cases that are similar to previous matters decided by the state Courts of Appeal involving constitutional law and criminal procedural issues, the AOC reported.
Winning students from each school will present oral argument before Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert and Justices Paul H. Coffee and Steven Z. Perren. The student from each school with the most persuasive argument will receive an award of recognition.
The schools have dedicated the competition to the memory of two highly regarded members of the legal community, the AOC noted.
Ventura College of Law and Santa Barbara College of Law have dedicated their competitions to the memory of Justice Richard W. Abbe, who served as an associate justice in Div. Six from its inception in 1982 to 1990.
Gilbert described Abbe in a statement as a great role model for the contestants, recalling that “he was known for his uncompromising integrity, unwavering fairness, and fierce independence.”
UWLA’s competition is dedicated to the late Barry Levin, a prominent defense attorney who also taught at the school. Levin defended many high profile individuals, including Robert Blake and Erik Menendez.
The court has invited the public to attend the competition.
Copyright 2004, Metropolitan News Company