University of Cincinnati law students win Diversity Case Competition

Congratulations to the University of Cincinnati College of Law teams for their outstanding performance at the sixth annual KMK Law Student Diversity Case Competition, held on January 12 and 13, 2024. First-year students Dominic Roshival and Amilcar Torres-Enriquez secured first place, while Megan Hasson and Joele Newman, also first-year students, achieved third place. Six teams from Cincinnati Law participated.

“We at the University of Cincinnati College of Law are honored to partner with KMK Law in cosponsoring the 1L Diversity Case Competition. The program serves three of our highest strategic priorities at once—it advances our commitment to experiential education at the earliest opportunities, it helps to ensure our students will succeed in law school and in the broader profession, and, of course, it deepens our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusive excellence and belonging at the College of Law,” said Dean Haider Ala Hamoudi.

“We are deeply proud of all of the students who took the time to participate in the competition and believe them all to be winners through their deep engagement in the experience.  We are especially proud that the first and third place teams are both from Cincinnati Law. My warmest congratulations to Dominic Roshival, Amilcar Torres-Enriquez, Megan Hasson and Joele Newman for a job well done!

The collaboration between Cincinnati Law and law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK) resulted in the creation of the nation’s first and only Law Student Diversity Case Competition, aimed at addressing the lack of diversity in the legal profession. This initiative stems from a talent identification strategy designed to enhance the diversity talent pipeline. Unlike traditional hiring practices that heavily rely on GPA and rank, the case competition provides a platform for participants to showcase their workplace skills, offering prospective employers insights into their capabilities beyond academic achievements.

Working in two-person teams, the students immersed themselves in a simulated work experience based on a client issue, presented in a format resembling the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), a skills assessment component of most jurisdictions’ bar exams. Responding in real time to new information and engaging in simulated client and partner interactions, the students demonstrated skills that may go unmeasured in traditional law school classes. These simulations exposed them to the assignment processes prevalent in law firms, allowing interaction with supervising attorneys and Fortune 500 corporate counsel while gaining valuable experience in managing feedback.

The competition featured a total of 14 teams from five law schools in Ohio and Kentucky. Participating institutions included Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University; The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law; the University of Cincinnati College of Law; the University of Dayton School of Law; and the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. This diverse and dynamic event not only showcased the exceptional talents of the participants but also contributed to the ongoing efforts to foster diversity within the legal profession.