Drake University Law School’s National Moot Court Team finished second in the 73^rd Annual National Moot Court Competition held Feb. 2, 2023. The National Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the New York City Bar Association, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious moot court competitions in the country.

Third-year students Elizabeth Boyer and Benjamin Wolf, and second-year student Catherine Dukelow were undefeated leading up to the final round. Boyer and Wolf delivered the oral argument as the petitioners. They faced off against a tough team from Mercer School of Law. The finalists earned high praise from the panel for their advocacy skills, ability to think on their feet, and thorough understanding of the issues and related laws.

Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2^nd Circuit acted as chief justice for the panel. Before announcing the winner, Judge Jacobs addressed the teams, stating, “You are all splendidly professional, smooth, and masters of the podium. You have outlasted and bested the best oralists in law schools around the country. My warm congratulations to all of you.”

The Drake Law team also won an award for submitting the second-best brief in the competition. Earlier this year, the team won the regional competition to qualify for nationals; Drake’s other moot court team finished second in that regional competition. Drake Law has a long history of strength in advocacy, having qualified for nationals 23 out of the last 30 years.

“We are extremely proud of the National Team’s accomplishments,” said Drake Law Dean Jerry Anderson. “Elizabeth, Ben, and Catherine presented the perfect combination of hard work, outstanding skills, and extraordinary talent. Special thanks to Coach Louie Sloven, and the many volunteers who helped prepare the team for competition success. This is another reminder that Drake Law School produces some of the best advocates in the country.”

— Theresa Howard, Law School

Drake University Law School earned an A- ranking for criminal law in preLaw Magazine, placing Drake among the top law schools in the nation for this field.

The publication based the rankings on law schools’ offerings in criminal law, including clinical programs, certificates, externships, partnerships, and courses. The results are reported in preLaw’s Back to School 2022 issue.

Drake Law offers students substantial opportunities to learn about and develop skills in the field of criminal law. With coursework ranging from prosecution and defense to scientific and expert evidence to global issues in criminal law, students can explore a range of subject areas. The Drake Criminal Defense and Juvenile Delinquency Clinics provide students hands-on experience representing indigent clients in court appearances, depositions, and negotiations. Since the ranking was completed, Drake has expanded its criminal law program even further with the introduction of a new Wrongful Convictions Clinic.

Students also gain practical experience through internships with offices such as the Polk County Prosecutor’s Office, Federal and State Public Defender, and U.S Attorney’s Office. The Law School offers a certificate in Prosecution and Defense which is specifically designed to prepare students for careers in criminal law.

Professor Bob Rigg, director of the Criminal Law Clinic, said “This honor reaffirms what we as faculty at Drake Law have known and worked hard to achieve.”

The issue also highlights a collaborative effort between Drake’s Criminal Defense and the Refugee Clinics to serve clients with issues involved in “crimmigation,” the merging of these two areas of law. Students from the Refugee Clinic provide research regarding subjects such as detention and deportation that may be triggered by a criminal conviction. Through this effort, the Drake Legal Clinic has been able to provide high-quality legal representation to noncitizen defendants and gives students the opportunity to develop essential skills and learn from real experiences.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Drake has been honored with the 2022 Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly Tree Campus USA) recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. The hard work of Drake’s Grounds Department has ensured this designation for the 11th year in a row. Facilities Planning and Management is committed to promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.  The dedicated team cares for over 1,500 trees on campus and recently updated and published a new Tree Care Plan. 

Trees on campus and in urban spaces can lower energy costs by providing shade, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students and faculty. In addition, trees improve students’ mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for studying and gathering making their care a high priority. 

If you are interested in being involved, stay on the lookout for information on how you or your groups can participate in our annual Arbor Day observance tree planting in May, or reach out to Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator at hannah.remke@drake.edu. You can also visit the Tree Campus Higher Education page on Drake’s Sustainability website. 

 — Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator

Drake University Law School announced today that it has been named a finalist in Bloomberg Law’s inaugural Law School Innovation Program. Drake Law School is one of 10 finalists recognized for implementing and leading innovative programs into their curricula that advance new methodologies and approaches to student instruction, legal technology implementation and usage, experiential learning, and other facets of legal education.

More information about Bloomberg Law’s Law School Innovation Program and the inaugural class of honorees is available at http://onb-law.com/qyV150MpaRF.

“Innovation in legal education is key to keeping up with the demands of the legal market, and Drake University Law School demonstrates its commitment to the future of the industry with the First-Year Trial Practicum,” said Joe Breda, President, Bloomberg Law. “Bloomberg Law recognizes Drake Law School for its performance by naming them as a Law School Innovation Program finalist.”

“For the last twenty-five years, Drake students have witnessed real trials involving murder, child endangerment, robbery, and vehicular homicide,” Steve Foritano, Practitioner in Residence and Director of the First-Year Trial Practicum, said. “After the verdict, the students can question the judge, the attorneys and the jury about their strategy and decision making. This program truly gives Drake law students an unprecedented look into the American justice system.”

“The Trial Practicum furthers Drake’s philosophy of teaching ‘Law in Action,’ which goes back to our founding,” Drake Law School Dean Jerry Anderson said. “By witnessing a real trial from start to finish, students not only gain insights on trial practice and procedure, they also obtain a profound understanding of the power of the law. The Bloomberg recognition highlights how unique that Drake Law experience is.”

Bloomberg Law received nearly 90 applications from 60+ schools across 25+ states that were evaluated by a panel of experts that included Bloomberg Law staff and those from outside the organization.

Innovations submitted for consideration were grouped into six categories: technology, business, justice, experiential learning, pedagogy, and student development. In addition to the 10 finalists, honorable mentions were identified in each category.

The 2023 Law School Innovation finalists were recognized based on the criteria of innovation, impact on students, ability to advance the legal industry, and replicability.

About Drake Law School

For over 150 years, Drake Law School has helped launch successful careers, providing a legal education that emphasizes experiential learning backed by a solid foundation in legal theory. As the only law school in the capital city of Des Moines, students gain unparalleled access to internships, externships, and clerkships. Drake Law graduates leverage the experience gained from hands-on learning and are ready to put the law in action from day one, joining an alumni network of 6,000+ who use their law degree in all 50 states and across the globe—in every facet of the legal profession. Learn more about a legal education at Drake.

About Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg Law combines the latest in legal technology with workflow tools, comprehensive primary and secondary sources, trusted news, expert analysis, and business intelligence Our deep expertise and commitment to innovation provide a competitive edge to help improve attorney productivity and efficiency. Bloomberg Law is the only legal research provider to include continuous enhancements to its platform at no cost to existing subscribers. For more information, visit pro.bloomberglaw.com.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Drake University Law School is pleased to announce the naming of the courtroom in the Neal and Bea Smith Law Center as the Daniel L. Power Courtroom. This naming honors the founding director of Drake’s Legal Clinic, Professor Emeritus Dan Power. The recognition is made possible through a lead gift from members of the Drake Law Class of 1981 to honor Power’s legacy and impact on generations of Drake Law alumni.

Dan Power served as director of Drake’s Legal Clinic from 1971 to 1994. He was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice when he joined the Drake Law faculty as the first Director of Clinical Programs. Power’s vision and dedication helped develop the clinic into the nationally recognized program it is today. His partnership with the late Congressman Neal Smith led to funding to build the Neal and Bea Smith Law Center that now houses the clinic programs. His kind and generous mentorship inspired and shaped countless successful Drake Law alumni.

The naming was initially announced at the Drake Legal Clinic’s 50^th anniversary celebration banquet in late October. Power and members of his family, along with many friends and clinic alumni, were there to celebrate the honor.

Funds raised through this initiative will be used to maintain the clinic facility and is programs. For more information about making a gift in honor of Professor Power, please contact Senior Advancement Officer Thomas Smith at thomas.smith@drake.edu.

Learn more about Drake’s Legal Clinic programs here.

— Terri Howard, Law School

Not one but two Drake Law National Moot Court teams rose to the top of their recent regional competition to compete against each other in the final round. Both teams demonstrated their hard work and excellence in written and oral advocacy but only one could win and move on to compete in the National competition in New York City early next year. The Drake Law team of Elizabeth Boyer, Ben Wolf, and Catherine Dukelow narrowly beat the second Drake team of Steffi Lee Dwyer, Caleb Piersma, and NaRayah Runyon in the finals to advance to nationals. Both teams are coached by Louis Sloven, LW’15.

The regional competition was held virtually and hosted by Drake Law School on Nov. 7. This event invites two competition teams from each participating law school, including Drake, the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and the University of South Dakota.

The Drake Law teams excelled throughout the competition. During preliminary rounds, Piersma, Dwyer, and Boyer ranked in the top five best oralists. Elizabeth Boyer was recognized as best oralist in the final round and named best oralist of the overall competition. The team of Dwyer, Piersma, and Runyon won best brief honors for the competition.

When asked about the preparation process leading up to the team’s win, Catherine Dukelow said, “It has been stressful, but I can tell it has helped improve my persuasive writing and oral advocacy … Elizabeth has been an absolutely amazing team captain and it is wonderful to work with and learn from her.”

“It was a great opportunity to learn from experienced advocates and judges, including justices from the Iowa Supreme Court,” Ben Wolf said. “I’m truly grateful to all the people who invested their time and energy into our team.”

Drake Law School is recognized as a Top School for Trial Advocacy by preLaw magazine, due in part to the strength of our Moot Court programs. Drake Law offers numerous opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience and hone their trial and advocacy skills through moot court and mock trial team participation, in addition to intra-school competitions. These experiences help students learn to work well under pressure and think on their feet and gives them the self confidence they need to become successful advocates.

Please visit our website for more information.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

The Law School earned an A ranking for human rights law in preLaw magazine, placing Drake among the top twenty-four law schools in the nation for this field.

The publication based the rankings on law schools’ offerings in human rights law, including clinical programs, certificates, externships, partnerships, and courses. The results are reported in preLaw’s Back to School 2022 issue.

The issue highlights Drake Refugee Clinic’s efforts to assist the large number of Afghan parolees who came to Iowa as part of Operation Allies Welcome, led by Allison McCarthy, co-director of the Refugee Clinic, and Suzan Pritchett, Director of Clinics and Experiential Education, in collaboration with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, and Iowa Legal Aid. The Refugee Clinic held information sessions and screening clinics to help Afghan families understand their options for applying for more permanent immigration status. This effort led to the development of pro se asylum application workshops and ongoing mentoring and training to volunteer attorneys. The Refugee Clinic and its student attorneys have increased their capacity for direct representation of Afghan asylum seekers and are also working to develop a virtual help desk for unrepresented noncitizens in Iowa to obtain general information about immigration issues.  These efforts are part of the Law School’s response to the recently announced ALL Iowa partnership.

McCarthy believes these initiatives will strengthen the community’s response to the legal needs of asylum seekers in Iowa, as well as serve as an important education opportunity for Drake students. “Drake Law students will have the opportunity to practice community-focused and culturally competent lawyering while strengthening our response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” McCarthy said.  Other offerings in human rights law include a certificate in Social Justice and Public Interest Lawyering, course offerings such as Race, Law and Social Change, work with the Drake Institute for Justice Reform and Innovation, and internship opportunities.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino has awarded The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University three grants totaling nearly $62,000 to support initiatives that impact Iowans.

• The largest award was a Youth Sports and Recreational Grant to provide funding for the Pursuing Victory with Honor Summit, featuring Iowa native Chris Norton. The Summit was held on October 7 at Bondurant-Farrar High School. attended the event. The grant enabled 15 Iowa schools to bring more than 500 middle/high school students to attend a presentation of Chris Norton’s documentary, 7 Yards. Chris was present to answer students’ questions and schools received the 7 Yards CHARACTER COUNTS! curricular resources.
• A Community Betterment was awarded to support CHARACTER COUNTS! for Early Childhood so that Iowa’s youngest students can begin to learn about good character.
• A Community Betterment was awarded to support 2022 Iowa Character Awards. The Ray Center annually presents the Iowa Character Awards to individuals and organizations who exemplify good character. Award recipients were honored at an event in July 2022.

“We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with Prairie Meadows. These grants provide valuable resources to Iowans and help promote good character, civility, and ethical leadership.” said Scott Raecker, executive director of The Ray Center. “We are grateful for Prairie Meadows dedication to transform lives and strengthening communities.”

Prairie Meadows supports Iowa nonprofit organizations that support arts and culture, education, economic development, and human services. In central Iowa, a nonprofit partnership between Prairie Meadows and Polk County has generated over $2.0 billion in funding over 30 years for projects that improve, strengthen, and beautify central Iowa.

Through public awareness and programming grounded in research, The Ray Center helps create strong, vibrant communities that value positive, healthy relationships and respectful behavior. Our initiatives benefit people of all ages and are easily adaptable for families, schools, workplaces, and athletic organizations.

— Amy Smit, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center