IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law to defend its championship in the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law will send two teams to defend its 2012 championship in the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition February 21 to 23 at the University of Minnesota Law School. The competition is designed to give law students an opportunity to develop the oral advocacy and writing skills essential to be successful appellate lawyers, and to promote interest in civil rights law.

This year, third-year students Anne Marfisi, Sarah Marfisi and Laurence Tooth will compete on one of IIT Chicago-Kent's teams. Second-year students Roman Kashuba, Scott Lechowicz and Stephen Pauwels comprise the second team.

Team member Anne Marfisi earned a degree in American studies at the University of Iowa. Teammate Sarah Marfisi received a bachelor of science degree with honors and highest distinction in political science, with minors in American studies and Spanish, from the University of Iowa. Teammate Laurence Tooth graduated with honors from Trinity College with a bachelor's degree in German studies and a minor in legal studies.

Team member Roman Kashuba completed his undergraduate education at Carleton College, where he majored in political science and international relations. Teammate Scott Lechowicz earned a political science degree at DePaul University. Teammate Stephen Pauwels graduated from Miami University with a major in political science and a minor in history.

The students will argue a federal appellate case Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, Inc. v. Twp. of Mount Holly. At issue is whether an urban renewal plan that would displace low-income housing occupied predominantly by African-American and Latino residents in favor of a higher priced housing development would constitute discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act. (In the actual court case, a petition for certiorari is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. McGee competition teams are asked to assume the petition was granted and the case currently is before the Supreme Court.)

The competition is named for University of Minnesota Law School alumnus William E. McGee '80, the first African American to be appointed chief public defender in the state of Minnesota. Mr. McGee also served as a public defender and prosecutor for Hennepin County. During his career, he worked as a staff attorney and then as executive director at the Legal Rights Center, a nonprofit, community-based organization that represents low-income people of color. Mr. McGee worked with numerous community and legal organizations, including the NAACP, the Legal Redress Committee, the Minnesota Criminal Rules Committee and the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, of which he was a founding member and a past president. He died in 2000 at the age of 47.

Founded in 1888, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law is celebrating "125 years of distinctive legal education." IIT Chicago-Kent is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. IIT Chicago-Kent is the only law school ever to win the National Trial Competition and the National Moot Court Competition in the same year (2008), and the first school in more than 30 years to win the National Moot Court Competition in two consecutive years (2008 and 2009).