Talented Duo Just Took Top Honors at the 2019 National ABA Client Counseling Championship
RALEIGH — The same Campbell Law duo — Tatiana Terry ’19 and Katie Webb ’19 — who won the National ABA Client Counseling Championship will go head-to-head against teams from 22 countries at the Brown Mosten International Client Consultation Competition on April 3-6 in Dublin, Ireland.
Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced the Law Offices of John M. McCabe, PA is generously sponsoring the team.
Brown Mosten ICCC is an annual event for the winners of national competitions across the world; providing an opportunity for students to learn and practice interviewing and counseling skills as well as to meet lawyers from other nations and cultures.
The Campbell Law team is coached by Professors Melissa Essary and Jon Powell. They help Terry and Webb prepare for the fundamental skills that the Brown Mosten ICCC will test; namely the ability to interview, counsel, and support a client through a hypothetical legal issue. Students are called on to explain various aspects of the attorney-client relationship, build rapport, determine client goals, and consider applicable law and options that may be available to the client.
“To win the National Client Counseling Competition and have the opportunity to represent the United States has been life-changing,” Terry explained. “When Katie and I placed fourth in the nation last year, I was devastated and defeated. I didn’t know if I was worthy of winning a National title and I thought about quitting. However, Professor (Dan) Tilly strongly encouraged against it and I’m so very glad he did. I used that defeat to fuel me to work that much harder my 3L year. Thankfully, we were able to bring the title home to Campbell Law.”
Terry continued, “I love Campbell Law. The Advocacy Program has changed my life in more ways than one. Campbell Law produces tremendous advocates and to have the opportunity to represent the United States shows the rest of the world just how phenomenal Campbell Law is. I am so grateful to everyone who made our participation in the International Client Counseling Competition possible. It is my sincerest hope that Katie and I represent our families, Campbell Law, and the United States of America with dignity, humility, and tenacity.”
Brown Mosten ICCC’s 2019 theme is theft, includes robbery, stealing, and embezzlement. Organizers describe the event’s four days this way: “The competition starts on Wednesday, April 3. Each team will do three different interviews across Thursday and Friday. The highest ranking nine teams will then go on to the semi-final round on Saturday morning. The top three of those teams will take part in the final round on Saturday afternoon. The programme (sic) includes social events and concludes with the Awards Dinner on Saturday evening.”
Over the past 10 years, students from 33 countries have competed in Brown Moten ICCC, including Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, England and Wales, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
On March 23, the duo of Terry and Webb beat out 108 teams from 69 law schools to take top honors at 2019 National ABA Client Counseling Championship — a first for Campbell Law. It was the second historic national championship team Terry had competed on in as many weeks. On March 16, she and her third-year teammates — Nichad Davis, Maurizo Lewis-Streit, and Ashley Urquijo — were crowned National Champions of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) Mock Trial Competition on March 16, in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was the law school’s first national championship in the competition.
On April 1, The Wilson Times published a story about the winning team heading to Dublin.
Webb added, “It was such an exciting moment to win the National Client Counseling Competition. My partner and I have spent numerous hours preparing for the competition and we were so proud that our hard work had paid off. It is such a blessing that we have the opportunity to represent the USA in Ireland and I’m thankful I get to experience one last competition with my amazing partner, Tatiana.”
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, 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 4,200 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. Throughout 2019, Campbell Law is celebrating 40 years of graduating legal leaders and 10 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.