UH Manoa law students take top positions in national and regional competitions

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Feb 27, 2008

HONOLULU - Students of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa took top positions in national and regional competitions this month.

The Law School's Native American Moot Court Teams brought home four awards in the 16th Annual National Native American Law Student Association Moot Court Competition held in Tempe, Arizona.

2nd Place Overall: Derek Kauanoe and Ed Hu (3rd year law students)
3rd Place Overall: Scott Hovey and Anosh Yagoob (3rd year law students)
Best Oralist: Anosh Yagoob
Best Brief: Moani Crowell and Greg Schlais

The team of Ann Otterman and Richard Wallsgrove, both second year law students, also advanced to the final "sweet sixteen." This competition is the only national competition dedicated exclusively to the area of federal Indian law. This year the students argued on issues relating to land use regulations and Indian tribal law, competing against 20 law schools across the nation, including Columbia, George Washington and Arizona State.

In addition, for the second time in 18 years, the Environmental Law Moot Court Team brought home third place overall in the national competition held at Pace University Law School in New York. Third-year law students Allan Alicuben, Jael Makagon, and Mits Takahashi beat teams from 10 law schools, including Michigan, Columbia, George Washington, and the University of Oklahoma. The competition involved a simulated appellate court proceeding on complex environmental issues of the Clean Water Act.

The Law School also hosted this year‘s American Bar Association Law Student Division's Client Counseling Competition two-day regional tournament. The UH team, led by faculty advisor Professor Calvin Pang ('85), included second year law student Donna Davis Hackley, and first year law students Christian Chambers, Kevin Hallstrom, Lance Larsen, Minda Yamaga and team manager Linda Ichiyama. Hackley and Chambers moved on to the final round. Team mentors were led by alumni Associate Dean Laurie Tochiki ('80), Angela Lovitt ('97), Dave Forman ('93), Denise Hevicon ('00), Larry Kawasaki ('92), and Livia Wang ('85).

"We are proud of all our students who participated, and the huge personal commitment they made to each other," said Law School Dean Avi Soifer. "Win or lose, they represent the Law School and Hawai‘i extraordinarily well throughout these important regional and national competitions."