Chaula Shukla ’13 and James Curran ’13 like to point out that while they placed fourth in the ABA’s National Client Counseling Competition this spring, the three teams outscoring them were all 3Ls

The journey to North Carolina for the nationals started in New York’s St. John’s University School of Law, where they placed first over the 12 teams from eight schools, Brooklyn Law taking second and St. John’s placing third.

“They consistently offered thoughtful counsel, made the clients feel comfortable, and understood the urgency of issues,” said Professor Kathe Klare, who coached them through the competitions. “The clients left knowing exactly where they stood. The students seemed like associates in a law firm, not law students."

Professor Elizabeth Renuart, who advised the team through the competitions, said that nationally 137 teams competed in regional competitions, leading to the finals.

Curran, the captain of the rugby team, is from Salem, N.Y. Shukla, who plans to pursue public interest work, particularly after her Clinic experience this year, is from Mamaroneck, N.Y.​