Student law team from USD reaches regional semifinals of national moot court competition
USD law students PJ Painter of Buffalo, S.D., Adam Shiffermiller of Omaha, Neb. and Morgan Peck of Sioux Falls, S.D. lost in the regional semifinals to the eventual champions from Drake. Another team from USD comprised of Tony Lamb of Lacona, Iowa, Kristi Jones of Columbus, Neb. and Kelsey Parker of Rapid City, S.D., lost in the quarterfinals of the competition that featured teams from University of Iowa, Drake University, University of Minnesota, Hamline University, University of St. Thomas, and William Mitchell College of Law.
More than 60 lawyers and judges judged rounds during the competition. The final round was judged by Judge Roger Wollman, 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Judge Lawrence Piersol, U.S. District Court, South Dakota; and state Supreme Court Judge Glen Severson. A luncheon for the judges was held on Nov. 8 to provide an overview of the competition problem. The luncheon and other aspects of the regional competition were funded by the Sioux Falls law firm Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith.
The nationally-recognized competition began in 1950 and is run by the Young Lawyers Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers. Fifteen regional sponsors administer the regional rounds in November under the Committee’s supervision. The first and second place teams from each region advance to the National Finals, Jan. 28-31, 2013, in New York City.