FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas School of Law will play host to the 2003 American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Continuing Education Building, adjacent to the Radisson Hotel in Fayetteville.

Nine teams from seven schools, including two from the University of Arkansas, will participate in the one-day event. A reception will be held for the competitors Friday night at the Radisson with the competition running from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

This is the second consecutive year the University of Arkansas will host the event by virtue of winning the competition in 2002 as well as 2001. Sarah Waddoups and Aaron Jennen captured last year's top spot to ensure Fayetteville's host designation in 2003.

"It's a big honor hosting a regional for the second year in a row," said competition chair Maurice Rigsby. "It shows University of Arkansas law students are able to grasp the practical aspects of working in a law firm."

Teams from the University of Arkansas competing are Shannon Humphrey, a first-year student from Little Rock, and Stacey Alexander, a first-year student from Wheaton, Mo., and Kendra Buford, a second-year student from Marianna, and Carla

Meadows, a second-year student from Pine Bluff. Humphrey and first-year student Michelle Stamps of Jackson, Miss., captured the intra-school event earlier in the month with Buford and Meadows finishing second to earn berths in the regional competition, but Stamps is unable to participate this weekend.

Other schools slated to compete include: Washburn University (two teams), St. Louis University, University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-Columbia and Washington University.

For the competition, teams of two law students interview an actor portraying a client. The teams receive only very general and incomplete information about the client and his or her situation. The students use the interview to discover the client's problem and provide preliminary legal advice. A panel of judges observes each team interviewing the same client, then makes the decision as to which team handled the consultation most skillfully.