“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Gail Devers
This Special Edition of the Monday Morning Message is called CSU|LAW Student Focus. It is intended to highlight and celebrate the individual and group achievements of our very talented CSU|LAW students.
Team Accomplishments
Congratulations to the CSU|LAW Moot Court Team!
They achieved an historic victory at the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition last weekend. The team comprised of 3Ls Dana Bye and Noah Mumbachadvanced to the final round of the regional competition and won by a unanimous vote of judges. With this regional victory, the team is advancing to the national round of the competition to be held in April.
This is a monumental accomplishment and the first time that a CSU|LAW team will advance to the national competition in over 15 years!
After countless hours of practice and preparation over the last three months, the team traveled to Philadelphia to compete against over 30 teams. The team is already shifting focus to the national round. They have many more hours of preparation and hard work ahead of them but are eagerly awaiting the challenge and the opportunity to return to Philadelphia and represent our law school at the national level. Special thanks to the team’s coach, Dean Williams ‘05, who has achieved great successes with multiple teams in the past.
Special thanks also to Ohio Supreme Court Justices Melody Stewart ’88 and Michael Donnelly ’92 , and 8th District Ohio Court of Appeals Administrative Judge Kathleen Keough ’87 who presided over the team’s 54th Annual Moot Court Night and provided feedback and support to ensure the team was prepared for this undertaking. Thanks also to all the members of the Moot Court Team who helped Dana and Noah prepare. Congratulations again to Dana and Noah!
Congratulations to the CSU|LAW Black Law Students Association ("BLSA") Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Team!
2Ls Meagan Holloway-Ragland and Isura Adedokun and 3Ls Aurora Santiago-Flores and Aireus Johnson, had stellar performances last month at the Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition for the Midwest BLSA Region Convention. The teams demonstrated exceptional appellate advocacy skills through their courtroom demeanor and mastery of the facts and case law.
Meagan and Isura advanced and secured a position to compete at the National Competition hosted by the National Black Law Student's Association ("NBLSA") at the 56th Annual National Convention which occurred March 6, 2024 - March 10, 2024. The event attracts competitors from law schools all over the nation - including Universities of Virginia, Baltimore, Pennsylvania, and Columbia. Congratulations to Meagan and Isura!
Thanks to our two BLSA Moot Court Team Adjunct Faculty Coaches – Theophilus Hudson ’12 and Emily Stolfer ’17.
Congratulations to the CSU|LAW Mock Trial Team!
On March 7th – 10th, the Mock Trial Team participated in the Midwest Regionals of the AAJ Mock Trial Tournament. This national tournament consists of 160 teams among 10 regions with various law schools across the country. It is the biggest and best-attended mock trial tournament each year. This year’s mock trial team consisted of Megan Porter (2L), Zach MacMillan (2L), Lina Girgis (2L), Koby Adu-Poku (2L), Jake Wrege (2L), Abby McCoy (3L), Marshall Farber (2L), and Parker Codding (2L). Their Midwest Region included 16 teams from the following additional law schools: University of Akron, Case Western Reserve, Ohio State, Ohio Northern, Notre Dame, Regent, Buffalo, Washington & Lee, Liberty, and Syracuse.
After a long four days of competing in these regional rounds, our foursome of Jake Wrege (2L), Abby McCoy (3L), Marshall Farber (2L), and Parker Codding (2L) performed admirably, defeating perennial powerhouse University of Akron.
Our other foursome of Megan Porter (2L), Zach MacMillan (2L), Lina Girgis (2L), and Koby Adu-Poku (2L) defeated Liberty and Syracuse, which allowed this foursome to advance to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, they faced University of Akron. CSU|LAW defeated them for a second time. Finally, CSU|LAW moved on to the championship round, in which CSU|LAW faced….University of Akron! And for a third time, CSU|LAW defeated them, making CSU|LAW the regional champions of the Midwest and advancing to Nationals in Chicago April 4-7.
This accomplishment of advancing to Nationals has special significance, as it is the first time in CSU Mock Trial Team history that CSU has made it to Nationals! Even more special is that this foursome of Megan Porter (2L), Zach MacMillan (2L), Lina Girgis (2L), and Koby Adu-Poku (2L) is comprised of all first year mock trial students! The entire CSU College of Law community should be very proud of this achievement as it officially puts our Mock Trial Team program on the national map.
Congratulations to the entire Mock Trial Team for their performances. Let’s wish the foursome of Megan Porter (2L), Zach MacMillan (2L), Lina Girgis (2L), and Koby Adu-Poku (2L) good luck at Nationals in Chicago!
Thanks to our two Mock Trial Team coaches, Adjunct Professor Julian Emerson and Jed Chedid (’21).
Individual Student Accomplishments
Taneisha Fair (3LE) was recently promoted in her role at Community Solutions, from Research Associate to Racial Equity Associate. Community Solutions’ is a nonprofit research and policy think tank focused on solutions to health, social and economic issues. Taneisha will continue to use her facilitation and qualitative research strengths to help make connections both inside and outside of the organization, and develop strategies on promoting racial equity in internal operations and the organization's community engagement efforts.
Taneisha and Anastasia Sakairoun (3L) were sworn in as new Commissioners of The City of Cleveland's Black Women and Girls Commission in February 2024. The Commission is a critical initiative sponsored by Mayor Justin M. Bibb, Councilwoman Deborah A. Gray and Councilwoman Stephanie D. Howse-Jones. Members will collaborate with the City of Cleveland to initiate and champion programs and legislation to improve outcomes for Black women and girls.
- Caitlin Harrington (2L) was selected to serve as a Sixth Circuit Representative on the Law Student Division Board of the Federal Bar Association.
Message to our CSU|LAW Students
If you have something you would like highlighted in the next Student Focus, please submit it by April 14 here: https://forms.office.com/r/ZeQBmPqhmH We reserve the right to edit submissions.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
The views and opinions expressed in my Monday Morning Message are solely my own and do not reflect the views and opinions of the law school or the university.
My best,
Lee