UCLA School of Law officially dedicated the A. Barry Cappello Courtroom to honor its alumni, A. Barry Cappello, a nationally respected trial attorney and managing partner of Santa Barbara’s Cappello & Noël, LLP. The Cappello Courtroom, located on the UCLA campus, serves as UCLA Law’s primary courtroom where students compete in mock trials, moot courts and simulated trials and gain experience arguing in a realistic courtroom environment. The Cappello Courtroom has also become a center for academic endeavors and the teaching of trial practice at the law school.
In 2007, the UCLA School of Law received $1.25 million gift from Cappello (Class of 1965) and his wife Lori. The gift created an endowment to support teaching and research related to UCLA Law’s trial practice and civil litigation programs. The primary goal of the endowment is to provide funding to ensure the future strength and viability of the trial practice program.
“Law students need the ability to perfect their skills in a setting that is similar to the real courtroom experience,” says Cappello. “I hope the courtroom and the opportunities for learning presented by the endowment will give students the necessary training tools to become successful trial lawyers.”
Taking part in the celebration were UCLA Law alumni, the Honorable Alex Kozinski, the Honorable Dorothy W. Nelson and the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw, all judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
