(From left to right) Dr. James Houlihan, Michael Park, Kaity Worst, Rory Dean Smith, associate dean for Outreach & Planning, Breana Bingham, Summer Hallaj and Joseph Volin.

Lewis University Mock Trial team members earned $34,500 in scholarships while competing at the 2010 Regional Undergraduate Diversity Mock Trial Feb. 27 at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Five Lewis representatives finished in the top six individual positions at the competition.

Lewis University students have won a total of $120,000 in scholarships during the last four years in this competition. Scholarships are awarded to the top four teams and top four individuals. The competition is unlike other mock trial competitions, where students compete on teams for their respective schools. In this competition, the students from a variety of schools are randomly placed together on teams with students from other schools.

The top four teams had Lewis students as captains. Summer Hallaj of St. Charles served as captain of the first place team and earned a $7,500 scholarship. The second place team was led by Breana Bingham of Romeoville, who earned a $5,000 scholarship. Lewis alum Joseph Volin led the third place team and earned a $3,500 scholarship. Kaity Worst of Shorewood led the fourth place team and earned a $2,500.

Lewis students also performed well in achieving individual awards. Hallaj finished in first place earning an additional $7,500 scholarship, Worst won second place earning a $5,000 scholarship, and Volin took third place earning a $3,500. Michael Park of River Forest won fifth place by a half-point difference from the fourth place from the University of Illinois. Bingham was another half-point behind in sixth place.

Coaches include Dr. James Houlihan, Brandi Sanders of Orland Park, John Senese of the Peter Francis Geraci Law Offices in Chicago, and Bill Rock of Block Klukas & Manzella Law Firm in Joliet. For additional information, please contact Dr. James Houlihan at (815) 836-5313.

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The ninth largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.