FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2001 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 William Schultz, (515) 255-1142 DRAKE LAW STUDENTS DEFEAT TWO HARVARD TEAMS, SWEEP REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION Two Drake Law School mock trial teams defeated two teams from Harvard Law School to sweep a regional competition in Boston last weekend. Eight Drake law students and their coaches were snowbound in Boston following the competition. To get back to Des Moines, they took an over-night train to Baltimore, then flew back to Des Moines via St. Louis, arriving about 1 p.m. today. "We called it our Five State Victory Tour," said William Schultz, a second-year law student from Clear Lake, Minn. "We had a great time out there, though. In the final rounds, it was basically a dog fight. What set us apart from Harvard was that we're better trial attorneys. We knew the rules better. We knew the facts better. It was very gratifying to beat Harvard." "For both Drake teams to get past Harvard is terrific," agreed Jerry Anderson, associate dean of the Drake Law School. "It's like Drake beating Duke in basketball. This victory shows that we have an enormously talented group of students and it illustrates the strength of our trial advocacy program." Both Drake teams will advance to the national Student Trial Advocacy Competition in New Orleans March 22-25. A total of 192 teams nationwide started the annual competition, which is sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Teams are judged on their skills in case preparation, opening statements, use of facts, the examination of law and expert witnesses and closing arguments. This year's case was a civil suit involving medical malpractice and negligence issues. The two Drake teams each finished first in their group. One team consisted of Michael Richards, a third-year law student from Des Moines; Ryan Tang, a third-year law student from Clive; Holly Schaffter, a second-year law student from Clive; and Dan Rothman, a third-year law student from Des Moines. The other team was made up of Theo Simms, a third-year law student from Washington, D.C.; Schultz, a second-year law student from Clear Lake, Minn.; Ed Bull, a third-year law student from Des Moines; and Gary Dickey Jr., a second-year law student from Des Moines. Two of those team members, Schultz and Simms, were members of the moot court team that won the national title last month in the National Moot Court Tournament. The moot court team is scheduled to be honored at the Des Moines City Council meeting on Monday, March 12. "If we could win the nationals in New Orleans, it would be an incredible sweep of the two most important competitions," Anderson said. Drake's mock trial teams are coached by three Drake Law School graduates who are assistant Polk County attorneys: Chuck Kenville, Jeff Noble and Dan Voogt.