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Tim Koppang: Secretary, DePaul University College of Law's National Moot Court Society

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published July 10, 2006

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"I suppose it was a combination of working for a sole practitioner here in Chicago and my experiences on the DePaul moot court team that made me reconsider," he said. "Up until that point, I actually found my law classes a bit frustrating. There is such a strong push once you're in the midst of law school to find work. I couldn't find my niche, and so I started looking at other careers. But once I had a bit of practical experience under my belt, the law became attractive again."

Koppang, who is currently busy studying for the bar, is keeping his options open when it comes to finding a job. He doesn't agree with the notion of picking a field to specialize in early in your law school career.


"Even though no one earns a 'major' in law as you do in undergraduate programs, everyone expects you to have an idea of what area you'd like to specialize in after graduation," he said. "To be honest, I've really tried to keep my options open. As a 1L, I thought that I wanted to be an intellectual property lawyer of some kind. While I'd be happy if I could find something working with copyrights and trademarks, I think I could find satisfying work in a number of fields. I do know that I don't want to be stuck behind a desk as a transactional lawyer. I want to be in court, meeting clients, and arguing with opposing counsel."

Koppang's advice to law students is to keep an open mind while in school and realize that there are benefits to having a wide foundation of knowledge concerning the law, as opposed to a narrow field of specialization.

"Do not overspecialize in the classes you choose or the organizations you join," he said. "I wouldn't recommend taking a string of classes you absolutely hate; but on the other hand, don't be afraid to branch out and try new subjects—especially if you like the professor who is offering the class."

"Make law school about broadening your familiarity with the law, rather than milking it for every last specialty class. I can't stand the big push to specialize early. There's plenty of time for that after graduation. Besides, you'll need to know it all for the bar exam anyway," he said.

During law school, Koppang served as Secretary of DePaul's National Moot Court Society, a position that required him to oversee a variety of odd jobs.

"I had to deal with many of the logistical problems we faced simply as a school organization," he said. "For example, I had to organize social events or the fall awards reception. I was in charge of making sure that all of our members had somewhere to practice their arguments. I maintained the society website. I took care of scheduling conflicts, announcements, and miscellaneous communication problems. Those, of course, were just my specific duties. I was also responsible for sharing in the general duties all of the board members shared."

In addition, Koppang was also a part of the moot court team and most recently competed in the Whittier Juvenile Law Moot Court Competition in California. Koppang and his partner had to research and prepare an appellate brief and then argue both sides of an issue in front of three-judge panels.

"Every year, the society—which is actually made up of an appellate team, trial team, and alternative disputes team—sends individual teams all across the country to various competitions," he said. "These usually last the length of a long weekend, during which the competitors really have quite a bit of freedom to prepare, compete, and otherwise enjoy themselves. Before we send the teams out, however, we also, of course, require extensive preparation and practice sessions judged by fellow team members."

The society also holds various social events throughout the year in order for the teams to get to know each other better, and Koppang is grateful for the friendships he made during his time in the society.

"From helping other teammates out with their individual competitions to sitting around in the moot court office complaining about classes, the friendships were something that I wouldn't have otherwise found," he said.

In order to get into the society, Koppang was assigned a partner; and the two had to write a brief and argue their case in front of Chicago attorneys who were serving as volunteer judges. He describes the process as exhausting, but said making the team was one of his most rewarding law school experiences.

"While there are changes afoot at DePaul and in the way the Moot Court Society is being run, one of the things I loved most about the team was the very democratic tryout process," he said. "Anyone—regardless of class rank, grades, or performance in past classes—had the opportunity to sign up to try and make the team."

Koppang said his involvement in the society, as well as a stint working as a law clerk for sole practitioner Thomas Flannigan in Chicago, helped him figure out that he wants an active role in the practice of law

"As a clerk especially, I found out just how much I didn't want to be stuck behind a desk all day. I learned how the Cook County [Illinois] courts actually worked, what it takes to actually get a motion filed, how to conduct a client interview, and all about the day-to-day practice of law. Because I was working for a sole practitioner, I also gained exposure to quite a few areas of law. It was such a small operation that there really wasn't anything that went on in the office that I didn't have an opportunity to participate in, even if only on a small scale. It was all very messy and enjoyable."
  1. Legal Jobs
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  6. Tim Koppang: Secretary, DePaul University College of Law's National Moot Court Society

published July 10, 2006

( 7 votes, average: 3.9 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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