RALEIGH, N.C. – Campbell Law School’s Advocacy Program continued its successful spring semester last week at the UNC Craven Moot Court Competition. Three second-year students, Anna Barefoot, Katie Greene, and Chris Waivers, represented Campbell Law in the 24-team field. Campbell Law Practitioner in Residence Matt Sawchak was the head coach of the team.
Pulled from recent media headlines and public policy debates, the competition problem centered on proposed FDA labels that would cover the top 50% of the front and back of all cigarette packages. The proposed labels include graphic photos, warning statements, and a toll-free “quitline” number.
Teams prepared briefs and argued on whether the FDA labeling requirements infringe on the commercial speech rights of the tobacco companies. The case also asked whether the FDA requirements are a government taking of tobacco companies’ property without just compensation.
The Campbell Law team prepared a stellar brief that received a high score in the competition. They presented dynamic oral arguments that helped them secure a spot in the fourth round of the competition.
Professor Sawchak worked closely with the team to prepare for the competition. Using his extensive contacts in the practicing bar, he brought in prominent lawyers from Ellis & Winters, Troutman Sanders, and Poyner & Spruill to question the team during practice sessions.
“At Campbell Law, we treat advocacy skills as a vital part of legal education,” said Sawchak. “The performance of Anna Barefoot, Katie Greene, and Chris Waivers in this competition showed student advocacy at its highest level. It was an honor to work with these talented and creative students.”
Sawchak continued, “I’m also proud of my colleagues at the bar for helping Anna, Katie, and Chris prepare for competition. At Campbell Law in Raleigh, we’re just blocks away from scores of top lawyers and judges. We use every opportunity to bring them in and let our students benefit from their experience.”
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Since its founding in 1976, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. The school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 3,400 alumni, including more than 2,400 who reside and work in North Carolina. For 26 years, Campbell Law’s overall record of success on the North Carolina Bar Exam has been unsurpassed by any other North Carolina law school. In September 2009, Campbell Law relocated to a state-of-the-art building in downtown Raleigh. For more information, visit http://law.campbell.edu.
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