OK, folks. I've had a nap now, so I'm feeling slightly human again.
I just wanted to say "thanks" to all who participated.
We had a great turnout from the local legal community: over 80 attorneys, about half of whom judged more than one round. We didn't need to use any (participating) coaches or law students as judges.
Special thanks go out to Sara Ziegler of EKU, one of our outside officials. In addition to providing stellar tab room help and handling judging assignments, she filled in as a judge during Round 4 when we discovered a conflict. All the other rounds had started, so Sara ran to the courtroom and judged. And lest anyone fear favoritism, both she and the other judge scored the round as a loss for my team.
Brad Bloch was . . . well . . . Brad! Brad not only runs things flawlessly, he can answer authoritatively any question that comes up, soothe frayed nerves (especially mine), and toss in a healthy sense of humor. Even better, he joined my family for a Pilot basketball game last night and might have been the best cheerleader on our side of the court. Needless to say, Herr Bloch has a standing invitation to visit the Rose City any time!
Finally, thanks to all the competitors. Our keynote speaker at the welcoming assembly talked about the difficulty of combining civility and honesty with zealous advocacy. That is a tough balance, even for seasoned attorneys. I was proud that, from my limited viewpoint, all of the competitors kept faithful to the concept of fair play and good sportsmanship. The hallways were filled with smiles and friendly handshakes throughout the weekend.
On the other hand, g4ut4m1 and the rest of you competing at the SoCal Regional owe us Northwesterners a big thank you. Your former competitors from Berkeley and Stanford wiped out our trophies and DSM bids!
Needless to say, the rest of us are quite glad that the 2 team limit exists.
We'll see you in Florida!
