Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 4, 1 April 2013 — UH law students dominate native law competition [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UH law students dominate native law competition

By Derek Kauanoe For the third straight year, University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law students won first plaee in the annual National Native Ameriean Law Students Association's moot court competition. But this year, for the first time, UH students swept all three categories: best advocates (formerly "best overall"), best oralist and best legal brief. "We're proud of our students' hard work and we're excited about their consistent performance eaeh year," said Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie, a UH law professor and faculty adviser who accompanied the team to the competition in Portland, Oregon, in February. Team captain Elika Otoya-Stimp-son said, "Our success was a team effort and we're thankful for the support we received from the law school and the legal community in preparation for the competition." Last year, UH won first and second plaee in the best advocates and best oralist categories, as well as third plaee for best legal brief and best advocates (tied). Out of 68 registered teams this year, UH fielded five two-person teams. Those teams consisted of: Elika Otoya-Stimpson and Randall Wat, Caycie Gusman and Catherine Hall, Teri Wright and Ikaika Rawlins, Zach Di Ionno and Sommerset Wong, and Jarrett Keohokalole and Kurt Klein. After the preliminary rounds, Hawai'i represented 25 percent of the top-ranking teams, placing four teams into the Top 16 to kiek off the elimination rounds. Hawai'i maintained its 25 percent representation in the quarterfinals, with two teams among the Great 8. Gusman and Hall, third-year law students, argued against a team from Columbia University in the final

round. "It was a great experience," said Hall, who won the first plaee best oralist award. "The people were great. The competition was a lot tougher this year." Gusman and Hall earned the first plaee best advocates award. Last year, they argued in the final round against another Hawai'i team and earned second plaee for best advocates. Third-year law student Zachary Di Ionno and his second-year law student partner Sommerset Wong won first plaee for best legal brief. Several notable people in the U.S. federal court system and in the field of Indian law served as judges in the final round. Judge William Canby from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Marco Hemandez from the U.S. District Court for the Oregon District and Judge Diane P. Wood from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals presided over the final round. Canby authored the American lnāian Law in a Nutsheīī book. Well-known Indian law professor Matthew Fletcher of Michigan State University's Indigenous Law and Policy Center also sat as a final-round judge. Due to weather conditions, University of Arkansas Law School Dean Stacy Leeds was unahle to retum as a final-round judge. Leeds is a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice who served as a final-round judge last year when UH hosted the eompetition. Twenty-four law schools were represented in the competition, including Cornell, UCLA, University of Miehigan and the University of Washington. The William S. Richardson School of Law has captured 33 awards in the 21-year history of the competition. ■ Derek Kauanoe is the community and student outreach coordinator for the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa Ka Huli Ao Center for Exceīīence in Native Hcrwaiian Law.

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Sommerset Wong, left, and Zach Di lonno won the first plaee award for best legal brief. - Courtesy photos: Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law

Third-year law students Catherine Hall, left, and Caycie Gusman won the first plaee best advocates award. Hall also won the first plaee award for best oralist. |