The University of Memphis School of Law congratulates the National Moot Court team - TODD RICHARDSON, MARK THOMPSON and SHANNON McKENNA - on its extraordinary performance in New York. The team reached the Final Round of the National Finals, one of the top two teams of the 186 teams from 129 schools which entered the competition. The top 28 teams met in New York the week of January 30.

The team beat the University of Pennsylvania in its first round and then lost a close round to Chicago-Kent. Nonetheless, the team's point differential was strong enough to make it one of the ten 1-1 teams in the Sweet Sixteen, where the single-elimination competition began.

The team then beat Fordham to face George Washington in the Elite Eight. The team won and faced Wake Forest in the Final Four. The team won again, to face Duke in the finals. Duke prevailed.

MARK THOMPSON won the award for the best oral advocate in the final round.

Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Barbara Kritchevsky was the team's coach. She notes that it is especially impressive to have a group of second-year students beating mostly third-year students from top-ten schools (UC-Berkeley, Pennsylvania) and the top moot court programs in the country (including South Texas). One of the especially impressive things about the team's success is that the brief, which team members wrote with no outside help, counted for 40% in every round.

Coach Kritchevsky and the team offer their thanks to the supporters who helped in the team's success. Many faculty (including Michele Alexandre, Bob Banks, Ralph Brashier, David Case, June Entman, Ernie Lidge, Steve Mulroy, Thad Pope, David Romantz, Gene Shapiro, Kevin Smith, Dan Wanat and Nick White) judged practice rounds and Dean Smoot supported the team. The team also enjoyed the financial support of the Alumni Association, judging and logistical help from members of the Moot Court Board (especially Ann Schiller), and the help of alumni judges. The team was especially privileged to have Judge Holly Kirby from the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Leo Bearman, Jr. and Kim Hodges (from the last UM team to go to New York) judge the Dress Rehearsal.