IIT Chicago-Kent to seek its third consecutive National Cultural Heritage Law Moot Court Competition championship

Two teams from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law will represent the law school in defense of its 2011 and 2012 championships in the fourth annual National Cultural Heritage Law Moot Court Competition. The tournament, sponsored by DePaul University College of Law and the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, will be held February 22 and 23 at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.

The students will argue Chaco Nation of the Chaco Indian Reservation, DePaulia v. Edward Williamson, a hypothetical case involving the disposition of human remains and interpretations of the Native American Graves Protection Act and Fifth Amendment "takings."

Third-year students Maggie Chappo, George Lepeniotis and Sylvia St. Clair will compete on one of IIT Chicago-Kent's teams. The second IIT Chicago-Kent team will comprise second-year students Daisy Ayllon, Dustin Karrison and Alex Stephens.

Team member Maggie Chappo earned a degree in secondary social studies education at Purdue University. Teammate George Lepeniotis completed his undergraduate education in English at Andrews University. Teammate Sylvia St. Clair graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor of arts degree with a focus in legal studies.

Team member Daisy Ayllon completed her undergraduate education at Villanova University with a major in communication and minors in Spanish literature and English literature. Teammate Dustin Karrison earned an accounting degree at Illinois State University. Teammate Alex Stephens graduated from DePaul University with a major in political science and a minor in economics.

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).

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