Congratulations to law students Theresa Bratton and Eric Ledger! They finished in first and second place in the Landskroner Foundation for Children Closing Argument competition. This is the seventh year that University of Akron law students have earned a first and second place finish in this competition. More information about the competition is detailed in the press release below.
MEDIA RELEASE
LAW STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS IN STATEWIDE COMPETITION
CLEVELAND – Thursday evening, September 24, 2009, The Landskroner Foundation for Children hosted its 11th Annual Law Student Closing Argument Competition in the courtroom of the Honorable Lance Mason at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center. The eleven students participating in the event were selected from a pool of applicants from law schools across the state of Ohio. The participants included second-and third-year law students from The University of Akron, Cleveland State University, The University of Toledo, Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Ohio Northern University Pettit School of Law.
In the competition, each student was given 15 minutes to argue on behalf of an injured child who lost his ability to speak as a result of medical negligence. Each student presented the case of their 14-year-old client to a jury comprised of experienced trial lawyers, esteemed Judges from the Court of Common Pleas, in Cuyahoga County, media representations, and child advocates. This year Theresa Bratton from the University of Akron was the first place winner, finishing second was Eric Ledger, also from the University of Akron, and finishing third was Patrick Hakes from Case Western University School of Law. The top three finishers received scholarship awards in the amount of $750, $500 and $200, respectively.
Since the inception of this program over 131 law students from across Ohio have competed and over $16,000 in scholarship awards have been distributed to the competition winners.
The Landskroner Foundation for Children is a nonprofit child advocacy organization founded as an outgrowth of the personal injury law practice of the Cleveland-based law firm of Landskroner • Grieco • Madden, LLC. The Foundation’s mission includes promoting safe and positive environments for children as well as protecting the rights of children through education and recognition of children’s needs. The Law Student Closing Argument Competition was created to encourage law students to consider public interest work after graduation from law school and to remind these future lawyers of their civic responsibility to the communities in which they choose to practice law.
For more information contact Jack Landskroner at 216-522-9000.
Submitted by: Joann Sahl, Director, Civil Litigation Clinic