Accomplishment
Students We’re Keeping Our Eyes On
Margarita Tarkalanova, Donnell Wright, Brittany Young, Kevin Cobb, and Karen Chrisman in The Hague.
International Moot Court Completes Terrific Year
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hirty-two students in Miami Law’s International Moot Court Program argued hypothetical cases in eight competitions around the world, in places such as Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and Spain. The cases involved such matters as bribery in international commercial arbitration, state sovereignty, and immunity in civil claims for human rights violations. The students also addressed human trafficking over online dating websites, religious practices, gender discrimination, human rights, indigenous rights, and ethics in international commercial arbitration. In the fourth annual Moot Madrid competition, four students advanced to the semifinals. One of them, Estefania Nasielski, was named best oralist. The international commercial arbitration competition in Madrid is similar to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot but the case, memorials, and oral arguments are all presented in Spanish. Many students credit the moot court program for their success at Miami Law. “Through participating in the training, I not only improved my oral advocacy in a tremendous way, but also boosted my confidence greatly as an international student,” said Lin Zhou, a chinese student who graduated in May. “It was such an amazing experience, and the highlight of my life in law school.”
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MIAMILAW magazine
TRICIA ANN ROBINSON was a law clerk this summer at the Pentagon, in the U.S. Navy’s Office of the General Counsel. She twice participated in the Clinton Global Initiative University and was a HOPE Fellow at the Legal Assistance Centre in Namibia. Robinson has a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Ohio State University, a Master’s in Public Administration and Finance from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and is on the staff of the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo. Robinson is the Symposium Editor for the National Security and Armed Conflict Law Review, President of the Environmental Law Society, a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board, and a Miami Scholar. She will compete in the Inter-American Sustainable Development Law Moot Court competition in Bogotá, Colombia. SAM WARDLE, from Wilmore, Ky., took the long road to law school. He graduated with highest honors in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and spent seven years as a reporter and editor, covering everything from high school sports to congressional elections. He also taught English as a second language in China, and worked as a wilderness instructor in Canada. Wardle is a Dean’s Fellow and a Soia Mentschikoff Scholar, is on the executive board of the University of Miami Law Review, and is a research assistant to Dean White. Wardle, a third year student, is also two-time winner of the Bruce J. Winick Award, given to students who finish an academic year in the top 1 percent of their class. Wardle currently works part-time at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton. He worked as a 2012 summer associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and was a 2011 summer law clerk for the Miami-Dade County Attorney. CATHERINE KAIMAN is Editor-in-Chief of the Race and Social Justice Law Review, and is pursuing a joint J.D./Master of Public Health degree. She has interned in Miami Law’s Children and Youth Law Clinic and is President and co-founder of the University of Miami Chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. Kaiman served as research assistant to Christina Zampas, practioner-in-residence at Miami Law’s Human Rights Clinic. She worked in the Summer Public Interest Fellowship in the Center for Ethics and Public Service, interning at Legal Services of Greater Miami. Last summer, Kaiman also worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center. ARIC WILLIAMS, a 23-year-old native of Livermore, Calif., has a double degree in sociology and political economy from the University of California, Berkeley. At Miami Law, he is pursuing a joint J.D./M.B.A. degree. Williams was a summer intern at Podhurst Orseck and mentors youths for the nonprofit organization Drug Free Youth In Town in Miami. “I strongly believe that having a positive figure in one’s life, encouraging them in the right direction, is monumental,” Williams said. “I know, from my own personal experiences, the impact proper guidance can bring.”