BUIES CREEK, N.C. and BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Campbell Law’s students came home champions from the 23rd Annual Jerome Prince Evidence Competition held Apr. 3-5 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Campbell Law team of Chris Autry, Catherine Hamilton and Walter Webster took first place in the competition, and were also awarded Best Brief and Outstanding Finals Oralist awards. The team beat a number of schools, including teams from the University of California-Hastings in the semi-finals, and Seton Hall in the finals.

Campbell competed against 37 other law schools. A complete list of participating law schools follows.

Campbell Law has been participating in the Jerome Prince Evidence Competition since its inception 23 years ago.

Judges of the final round argument were Judge Theodore T. Jones Jr. of the New York Court of Appeals, Judge Paul J. Kelly Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and Judge Richard C. Tallman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judges in the earlier rounds included sitting judges from New York's state trial and appellate courts, faculty of the Brooklyn Law School and practitioners from throughout New York City.

The problem involved four complex evidence issues: whether evidence of a collateral statement inculpating a third party (the defendant) could be admitted under the Supreme Court's interpretation of Williamson v. United States, whether statements made in a personal business journal were inadmissible when the writer of the statements committed suicide a week later, whether a declarant's hearsay statement that she intended to travel to meet with a third party (the defendant) and discuss a matter was admissible under the Federal Rules and Hillmon v. United States to prove that the meeting and discussion took place, and whether an internal memorandum created by the defendant that stated factual information concerning a defective product and recommended a recall of that product was inadmissible as a "subsequent remedial measure" under the Federal Rules, when the investigation that prompted the memorandum was undertaken following a governmental agency's directive.

“Chris, Cat and Walter obviously did an outstanding job,” said Professor Rick Lord. “More than that, they represented the school with dignity, integrity and professionalism.”

About the Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition: The Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition honors the late Jerome Prince, former dean of Brooklyn Law School. This competition is the only one of its kind dedicated to the appellate advocacy of criminal evidence issues.

The 2007-08 Jerome Prince Evidence Competition participating schools:

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Media Contact: Ashley Arnold, 910.893.1812, arnold@law.campbell.edu