Jennifer Merzlock Of Joliet Earned Fifth Place At The Fourth Annual United Kingdom Law School Mediation Competition In Scotland

2011 Dec 8

Jennifer Merzlock of Joliet, Ill. and two other members of the Lewis University Mediation team earned fifth place at the Fourth Annual United Kingdom Law School Mediation Competition held Nov. 25-26 at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Lewis University was the only American team invited to compete in the competition of 19 teams from 17 universities.

"The competition and quality of competitors for individual awards was equally intense and close," commented Dr. James Houlihan, a Lewis University coach. Lewis University had two members of the Top Ten mediators, from the 57 individuals competing. Jennifer Merzlock took sixth place and Cody Curin placed seventh, each missing trophies by a couple of points.

The Lewis University Mediation team members that earned fifth place were Cody Curin of Burr Ridge, Jennifer Merzlock of Joliet, and Ryan McAuliffe of Orland Park. They were coached by Dr. James Houlihan, professor and director of the Pre-Law program at Lewis University, and Angela Henderson of Henderson Law Center in Joliet.

The Annual UK Law School follows the format of entering with three students accompanied by their coach. Each student acts as mediator twice and a client twice. The students are judged on a range of core mediation skills and aptitudes, which then produces both individual and team awards.

Competitors included teams from Northern Ireland, Germany, England and Scotland. BPP-London teams won first place and second place. Lewis nearly missed fourth place, but the team from Liverpool John Moores University earned the honors.

The fifth place finish at the international event follows a second place in Advocacy finish by Lewis team members at the Mediation National Championships. Five team members won All-American honors.

Contact Dr. James Houlihan at (815) 836-5313 or houlihja@lewisu.edu to learn more about the academic teams at Lewis University.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.