Campbell Law advocates head to 28th annual national Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition

Campbell Law advocates Destiney Parker ’20 and Brittany Levine ’20, coached by Raleigh attorneys Pam McAfee and Margaret Westbrook, won the regional Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition on Monday, Feb 17, in Washington, D.C. Parker was also named best oralist.

Parker and Levine are headed to compete in New York City at the 28th annual national Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition this weekend, Feb. 29-March 2.

Stubbs & Perdue sponsored Parker and Levine for the regional competition and the firm continues to pledge its unwavering support to the team as they advance to the national competition. The firm’s gift provides financial assistance for the students’ preparation, travel and lodging.

McAfee is an adjunct professor at Campbell Law, where she teaches a bankruptcy survey course, and a staff attorney for Judge Joseph Callaway in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Westbrook, who is a partner at K&L Gates, clerked for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina from 1996 to 1998.

The Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition is widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent moot court competitions. The competition promotes and recognizes the finest oral and written advocacy on significant issues in bankruptcy practice. More than 50 law school teams participate, making this the largest single-site appellate moot court competition. Jointly sponsored by St. John’s University School of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the competition is named in memory of St. John’s alumnus, former ABI Director and former Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein.  ABI is the largest multidisciplinary membership organization devoted to research and education on insolvency issues. St. John’s is a leader in bankruptcy education and offers the premier LL.M. in bankruptcy law.

The American Bankruptcy Institute Endowment Fund will present the following awards to the winners:

$5,000 to the first-place team

$3,000 to the second-place team

$1,500 to the two third-place teams

$1,000 each for Best Oralist and Best Brief

The competition will conclude with the Duberstein reception — attended by leading bankruptcy judges and practitioners — at Gotham Hall in New York City.