2006 NTC Champions
ACTL President Michael Coper (left) and TYLA President Lee Ann Reno (right) pose with the Loyola-LA Coach Professor Susan Poehl and NTC Champions KimberlyGreene and Courtney Yoder.

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles took top honors for the second year in a row in the National Trial Competition. Championship rounds for the competition were held in Dallas March 22-25, 2006, and included the top teams from around the country who advanced from the 13 Regional Competitions held in February. NTC Coordinator Tracy Brown noted: "When you consider that 150 law schools competed in the regionals this year, and most of those schools entered two teams, it is quite a feat just to make it to Texas to compete for the championship. To win at this level is very exciting."

Loyola-LA actually brought two teams to Texas and both made it to the semi-final round of the competition. University of Maryland School of Law competed in the final round against Loyola-LA. The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) annually co-sponsor this event and contribute several awards including the Kraft W. Eidman award ($10,000 to the winning team) endowed by Fulbright & Jaworski and $5,000 to the 2nd place team endowed by the firm of Beck, Redden & Secrest. The best oral advocate receives the George A. Spielberg award, donated by Fried, Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, which includes a sponsored trip to the ACTL annual meeting.This year Sach Oliver of the University of Arkansas School of Law-Fayetteville was named Best Oral Advocate and will address the ACTL at its annual meeting in London, England.

Article of Interest
If You Spell HIPAA With Two Ps, Then This Article Is For You
By Cheryl S. Camin

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering what all this healthcare privacy rule stuff is about. You're pondering, how does it apply to me and my clients? And where did it come from? Is it an evil parasite that was transmitted to Earth from the planet Neptune? Not quite, but close.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule is a law, created and enforced by the Federal government, protecting how an individual's health information is used by organizations and disclosed to others. The Federal government has the authority to impose civil and criminal penalties for violations of the Privacy Rule. (Cont.)

Tips for Young Lawyers
Striking A Balance
(excerpted from Gindi Eckel's Letter to Young Lawyers, New Lawyer CLE)

Gindi Eckel

Dear Young Lawyer,

I write this while still a young lawyer myself (or at least what I consider young these days). I’m not, however, brand new, which may be the distinction I draw when I presume to offer you a bit of advice. This January I became classified an “8th year associate” and have, what I consider, the well earned label of senior associate. Partnership consideration is next – yikes! So I have to ask myself – how did I manage to make it this far without jumping off a bridge from all the stress? I’ve made a series of transitions – mid-sized firm to a small one to a large one, Fort Worth to Houston, litigation to environmental – all of which were made presumably to better my position in this career of mine. (Cont.)