Dispute Resolution Board duo headed to nationals

Members of the Dispute Resolution Board competed at the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition. Clockwise from top left: Joseph “J.R.” Boyd, Leah Le’Vell, Gabriele Bodanza, Lydia Plotz, Taylor Bollt, and Brooke Ennis.
Members of the Dispute Resolution Board competed at the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition. Clockwise from top left: Joseph “J.R.” Boyd, Leah Le’Vell, Gabriele Bodanza, Lydia Plotz, Taylor Bollt, and Brooke Ennis.

Members of Stetson Law’s Dispute Resolution Board competed at the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition hosted virtually by Liberty University School of Law Feb. 12-14, and one Stetson duo will advance to the national rounds in March!

The competition included nine teams representing five schools.  All six students represented Stetson with professionalism, poise, and excellent preparation, and all three Stetson teams advanced to semifinal rounds, with veteran advocates Gabriele Bodanza (team captain) and Lydia Plotz seeded first, veteran DR/Trial Team member Brooke Ennis and Taylor Bollt (who also competed in arbitration last semester) seeded fourth, and Joseph “J.R.” Boyd and Leah Le’Vell seeded sixth. 

In semifinal rounds, the team of J.R. and Leah, in their first-ever Stetson DR competition, scored a huge upset, defeating Stetson veterans Gabriele (a national finalist in this very competition last year) and Lydia, and the team of Brooke and Taylor was narrowly defeated by Georgetown. 

“Training up the next generation of advocates so that they can defeat our formidable veterans is a sure sign that our veterans have done fantastic work in getting their teammates ready,” said Professor Kristen Adams, director of the Dispute Resolution Board.

Final rounds of this competition consisted of two Georgetown teams and the Stetson team of J.R. and Leah.  Competition was fierce, as only the No. 1 team advances to national rounds in March, and J.R. and Leah entered the final round seeded third.  In addition, in this particular competition, teams do not get to see their opponents perform; all they can do is their own best work.  J.R. and Leah went first and then waited for several grueling hours for the other teams to compete. 

After a lengthy deliberation, the results were in, and J.R. and Leah won and will be representing Stetson in national rounds in March!

The teams were expertly coached by Stetson Law alumna Emily VanOosting J.D. ’12, who has taken the Stetson Client Counseling team to Nationals now four years in a row. 

Post date: Feb. 15, 2021

Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580
«
»