UH Law Center moot court competition and symposium to focus on terror, use of 3-D printers to make weapons

HOUSTON, Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some of the nation's top moot court programs will participate Jan. 28-30 in the 8^th Annual National Moot Court Championship with an accompanying symposium hosted by the Blakely Advocacy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center (UHLC.)

This year's problem will focus on terrorism and will deliberate the hypothetical question of whether a person can be charged for making an explosive device or firearm parts with the use of a 3-D printer. The second issue to be discussed is if a person can be prosecuted for sharing potentially dangerous computer code with a person who is affiliated with a known, foreign terrorist network.

"The Blakely Advocacy Institute and Andrews Kurth are pleased to carry on their partnership in the Advocating for Advocacy Program," said Jim Lawrence, director of the Blakely Advocacy Institute. "This partnership provides crucial support to the Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship, and has establish the competition as one of the premier moot court tournaments in the country."

The teams are encouraged to attend a related symposium titled "Terror – Will You Wear the Shackles?" The symposium will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 28 at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Houston. The symposium's panelists are Joshua Dratel, President of Joshua L. Dratel, P.C., Assistant U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and John Rizzo, Senior Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson. Meredith Duncan, a UHLC professor who teaches courses in professional responsibility, torts and criminal law, will moderate the symposium.

The 2016 teams include Chicago-Kent College of Law, Florida Coastal College School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Liberty University School of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Michigan State University College of Law, New York University School of Law, Regent University School of Law, Seton Hall School of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law, South Texas College of Law, St. John's University School of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, UC Hastings College of Law, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

The moot court tournament is sponsored by Andrews Kurth LLP.

For more information, click here to visit the Moot Court Championship's website. 

Media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; John T. Kling, UH Law Center Communications Manager, 713-743-8298; Elena Hawthorne, Multimedia Specialist, [email protected], 713-743-1125; John Brannen, Senior Writer, [email protected], 713-743-3055.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.

About the University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is the leading law school in the nation's fourth-largest city. Founded in 1947, it is a top-tier institution awarding Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees. The Law Center is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

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SOURCE University of Houston Law Center

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