Northwestern Takes First, Third in National Trial Competition

CHICAGO --- One of Northwestern University School of Law's trial teams won first place and another third place in a national trial competition sponsored by the California Association for Criminal Justice.

The competition included 30 schools, including the Northwestern teams from the Fred Bartlit Center for Trial Strategy.

Northwestern's first-place team -- Joanne Perini, Rosemarie Maliekel, Jessica Frogge and Amitabh Banerji -- defeated the University of Wisconsin Law School in the final round. The third-place team -- Carly Vandewalle, Rachel Freyman, Brian Lichter and Johnny Douglas -- outscored the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

The Bartlit Center national trial team consists of eight students selected in a tryout process each October for their oral advocacy skills, knowledge of evidence and courtroom presence.

"Northwestern's trial teams frequently are successful, because the students are energetic and smart, and their coaches are great lawyers and great teachers," said Steven Lubet, the Williams Memorial Professor of Law. Lubet supervises the Bartlit Center advocacy program.

Both Northwestern teams were coached by Richard Levin and Adam Riback, of the Levin Riback Law Group.

"Competition was stiff, and our students' performance was terrific," head coach Levin said.

In the preliminary rounds, Northwestern defeated teams from UCLA School of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law, Whittier Law School and Stetson University School of Law.