COSTA MESA, Calif., February 10, 2012 – Rutan & Tucker LLP, Orange County’s largest full-service law firm, has been named Law Firm of the Year by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County (CRF-OC).
The honor was bestowed at the 31st Annual Mock Trial Awards Luncheon, held recently at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Training Academy in Tustin, California. The firm has received the award several times during the foundation’s history.
Mock Trial combines law-related education with tournament style competition. Using a simulated criminal court case, students explore current and complex legal, social and constitutional issues.
Each year, student teams from approximately 40 local high schools prepare to enact every role in a trial with the guidance of attorney and teacher coaches. Every round of the competition takes place at a courthouse in front of real judges and attorneys who volunteer to score the students’ performances.
“Congratulations to our Law Firm of the Year, Rutan & Tucker, which supported the Mock Trial Program at the highest level of any of the sponsoring firms,” said Peter Villar, Mock Trial committee co-chair and partner at law firm Bingham McCutchen. In addition to providing monetary support, more than 25 of the firm’s attorneys also volunteered as scorers for the program.
Villar went on to say that “Rutan partner Karen Walter is undoubtedly the most dedicated and passionate of the program’s volunteers, and she alone donated a tremendous amount of time as CRF-OC’s president, as a Mock Trial coach and as my co-chair of CRF-OC’s Mock Trial committee.”
“We are delighted to again be the recipient of this honor and always encourage our attorneys to be involved with the important work the Foundation does to involve and empower youth to become active, responsible citizens,” said Ski Harrison, the firm’s managing partner. Harrison is a former mock trial coach who assisted Newport Harbor High School.
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About Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County
The Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County (CRF-OC) is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization. Our mission is to involve and empower youth to become active, responsible citizens. Established in 1981, CRF-OC combines a variety of educational formats, outside of the traditional classroom, with hands-on experiences and direct contact with the individuals who make our systems of business, justice and government work. Each year, over 10,000 young people and volunteers from Orange County's various communities participate in our programs. More information is available at www.crfoc.com.
About Rutan & Tucker LLP
Rutan & Tucker is Orange County’s largest full-service law firm with offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include corporate and securities law, business, real estate and intellectual property litigation, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, government and regulatory law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.