WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU
Moot
Court
Board
Alumni
Newsletter
The Honorable Andre Davis of the 4th Circuit, Judges Linda McGee,
Donna Stroud, and Sanford Steelman, Jr. of the North Carolina Court
of Appeals, Dean Morant, and the Executive Moot Court Board
National Moot Court Team
Advances to National
Championship in New York City
Lindsay Watson, Austen Irrobali and Justin
May wont eh regional tournament held
on Saturday, November 16, 2013 in
Richmond, Virginia. As a result, the team
advanced to the national finals to be held
in New York City. Additionally, Austen
Irrobali won the “Best Oralist in the Final
Round” award.
This year’s problem involved a First
Amendment challenge and a dormant
commerce clause challenge to state
statutes regarding the advertising and
bottling of sugar-sweetened beverages.
The team went 5-0 over two days to claim the
top spot. Twenty-one teams from 12 different
law schools competed. In the preliminary
rounds, Wake Forest defeated Campbell and
UNC, finishing 2-0 and
Seeded second for the elimination rounds.
Wake Forest then defeated the University of
Richmond in the quarterfinals and William &
Mary in the semifinals. The match against the
Richmond team was extremely close, but
Wake Forest edged Richmond by only 0.05 of a
point thanks to having the third-best brief
score out of the 21 competing teams.
In the final round Wake Forest defeated
Regent University, which had the best
brief score and also was the defending
champion of the regional tournament.
The team was coached by legal writing
and appellate advocacy Professor John
Korzen.
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
Intercollegiate
Competitions
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Jessup Team (Right) and
ABA Team (Below)
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Stetson International Environmental Law
Moot Court Competition
Melissa Bryson, Zachary Dunn, and JD
Wooten competed in Denver, Colorado on
January 24-25, 2014 at the Strum School
of Law, University of Denver. Coached by
Professor John Knox.
National Moot Court Finals Competition
Lindsay Watson, Justin May and Austen
Irrobali competed in New York City on
Monday, February 10, 2014 in the
national finals competition. Coached by
Professor John Korzen.
Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot
Court Competition
Karon Fowler, Andrew Parrish, Davis
Phillips and Gustin Vandiford competed in
the largest moot court competition in the
world on February 20-23, 2014 at George
Washington University in Washington, DC.
The team had the 6th best brief score in
the Mid-Atlantic competition.
Additionally, Karon Fowler was named the
13th best oralist among roughly 100
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competitors. The team was assisted by its
Team Captain Michael Bixby. Coached by
Professor George Walker.
Mardi Gras Sports Law Competition
Tee Hassold, Evan Leadem, and Brooke
Loucks competed in New Orleans,
Louisianna at the US District Court for the
Eastern District of Louisiana on February
26-28, 2014. Evan Leadem received a
score of 99/100 during his second oral
argument. Coached by Professor Abigail
Perdue.
ABA National Appellate Advocacy
Competition
National Moot Court
Competition
Stetson International
Environmental Law Moot
Court Competition
Phillip C. Jessup International
Law Moot Court Competition
Mardi Gras Sports Law
Competition
Gabrielli National Family Law
Moot Court Competition
ABA National Appellate
Advocacy Moot Court
Competition
Billings, Exum & Frye National
Moot Court Competition
Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court
Competition
John Blanchard, Aimee Durant, and
Caroline Massagee competed in Albany,
New York on Feburary 27-March 1, 2014.
The team advanced to the quarterfinalist
round. Coached by Dean Suzanne
Reynolds.
Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot
Court Competition
Chris Edwards, Justin Jenkins, and Katelin
Kennedy competed at Elon University in
Greensboro, NC on March 29, 2014. The
team advanced to the semifinalist round.
Michael Bixby, Pat Naples, and Jim Miller
competed at the United States District
Court in Washington, DC on February 27,
2014. The team advanced throughout the
competition, arguing in the final round,
losing by a slim margin to Georgetown,
which advanced to the national
competition. Coached by Professor Zoe
Niesel.
Mardi Gras Team (Right)
WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
Intramural Competitions:
Stanley & Walker Competitions
The 42nd Annual Edwin M. Stanley Moot Court Competition
Karon Fowler was the winner of the 42nd annual Edwin M.
Stanley moot Court Competition, sponsored by the Wake Forest
University School of Law Moot Court Board. The finalists in the
Stanley Competition were Karon Fowler and Aimee Durant.
Fowler represented the appellant, Nicole Swisher, vs. Durant,
who represented the Appellee Bronx Bombers. Fowler and
Durant are pictured at the competition above.
The 2013 competition involved one issue of state tort law and
one issue of federal civil procedure. Plaintiff Nicole Swisher was
injured by a foul ball at a minor league baseball stadium in
Maryland, which was owned by Defendant Bronx Bombers, LLC,
the Worrell Warriors (a minor league team), and designed by
Jeter & Rivera, LLC (an architectural firm). The Plaintiff was in a
children’s play area located in the ballpark concourse, watching
her 4-year-old twins, when she was hit by the foul ball and
seriously injured.
This year’s panel of judges were the Honorable Stephanie
Thacker of the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the
Honorable Frank Whitney, Chief District Judge at the US District
Court for the Western District of North Carolina, and Michael D.
Green, Professor of Torts at Wake Forest University School of
Law.
“It was a fabulous competition, you were both very impressive,”
Thacker said following the oral arguments held on Friday,
November 22, 2013, in the Worrell Professional Center. “I know
that this is not something I could have done when I was in law
school, so congratulations for participating in this competition.
You both had such confidence. Some of the best oral advocates
I’ve ever seen came from Wake Forest School of Law, and you
were great examples for the school.”
Whitney added that the finalists did a great job of constructing
their oral arguments. “The art of oral argument is not something
that we see as much anymore, but the two of you did as well as
any attorneys that have appeared before me, and you were so
well prepared,” he said.
The competition co-chairs were Rebeca Echevarria and A’tolani
Akinkuotu. Douglas Walters was named best oralist and the
winner of the James C. Berkowitz Award, which was presented by
the Berkowitz family. James died in a car accident when he was
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WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
(Continued)
returning to the law school to argue in the
quarterfinals of the 1984 Stanley
Competition. Kelsey Meuret was runnerup for best oralist. Stephen Frost received
the award for best brief, while the runnerup was Evan Leadem.
Dean Blake D. Morant commented on the
competition after thanking the judges and
the Moot Court Board. “These oral
advocates have done a splendid job of
showing the success of our oral advocates
here at Wake Forest Law,” he said.
The 43rd Annual George K. Walker Moot
Court Competition
Lauren Emery won the 43rd annual George
K. Walker Moot Court Competition on
Thursday, April 17, 2014. The final round
showcased the top two first-year law
students in the moot court competition.
This year’s problem centered around
whether a university’s refusal to field a
women’s golf team violated Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972. Emery
represented the Plaintiff Pamela Powell,
while Alexis Iffert represented the
Defendant Dobson Technical University.
The distinguished panel of judges included
Christine Bishoff of the North Carolina
Justice Center and formerly of the US
Department of Education Office for Civil
Rights, Judge Jim Gale of the North
Carolina Business Court, and Professor
Rhoda Billings, a retired Wake Forest Law
professor who later became the Chief
Justice of the North Carolina Supreme
Court in 1985 and served as the first
female president of the North Carolina
Bar Association. Billings received the
university’s highest honor, the Medallion
of Merit, during the Founders’ Day
Convocation on Thursday, February 21,
2013.
The judges were highly complimentary of
both finalists. “We asked some very hard
questions and I was very impressed,”
Bishoff said before the decision was
announced. “Overall you both did a great
job.” Gale added, “That you did well in
this case is extraordinary. I hope you have
a true appreciation for the process and I
hope you have tremendous respect for
each other. It’s also difficult for us as
judges to feel like we gave you a fair
opportunity. We’re intimated when we
see the quality of students when we come
here.”
Billings said, “This was a hot bench with all
three of us trying to ask you questions at
once. Your ability to be composed and
responsive under these circumstances
means no bench is going to trip you up.”
The competition came down to less than a
one point difference, according to Billings.
The competition co-chairs were Jasmine
Pitt and Stephen Frost. Elissa
Hachmeister won the Best Brief award,
while Lauren Emery was the runner-up.
The Best Oralist award went to Alexis
Iffert, while Catherine Law received
runner-up. The Debbie Parker Moot
Court Service Award went to Michael
Bixby.
Dean Blake Morant added that “here at
Wake Forest Law students are the center
of what we do. I am so proud of our oral
advocates and the job they did today. The
Moot Court Board also did an awesome
job. There are no losers today, there are
only winners.”
Lauren Emery & Alexis Iffert with Dean Morant at the Walker
Competition
North Carolina Court of Appeals Oral
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WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
North Carolina Court of Appeals Oral Arguments &
A Visit From the Honorable Andre Davis
North Carolina Court of Appeals
Afternoon Tea with the Honorable Andre Davis
For the 22nd consecutive year, Wake
Forest Law and the Moot Court Board
hosted oral arguments in the North
Carolina Court of Appeals on February 25,
2014 in the Worrell Professional Center.
The Honorable Andre M. Davis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4 th Circuit in
Richmond participated in Wake Forest Law’s Jurist-in-Residence program from
February 24-27, 2014. While serving as Wake Law’s Jurist-in-Residence, Davis
invited the Moot Court Board to afternoon tea to speak casually about the
importance of Moot Court in our legal education. Judge Davis participated in the
Moot Court Board at the University of Maryland when he went to law school, and
qualified to participation through a similar process that Wake Law employs. He
spoke briefly about the importance of Moot Court participation, whether seeking
a litigation or transactional practice.
The panel of judges included Judge Linda
McGee, Judge Sanford Steelman, and
Judge Donna Stroud. “The panel of judges
on the North Carolina Court of Appeals
has visited Wake Forest for an afternoon
of oral arguments for 22 years, allowing
Wake law students to see what real
appellate arguments are like and to see
that their own oral arguments are nothing
to fear,” Professor Chris Coughlin
explained. “We are fortunate to have this
opportunity.”
This was not Davis’s first visit to the law school, however. He served as a panel
judge for the 40th annual Stanley Moot Court Competition sponsored by Wake
Forest Law’s Moot Court Board in 2011. Davis also remarked at afternoon tea:
“The strongest oral argument I saw this year on the court was an argument from
a Wake Forest Law student for the Appellate Advocacy clinic.”
The cases heard were State v. Monroe
(COA No. 13-954) and In the Matter of
W.J.W. (COA No. 13-1129). The first
involved jury instructions while the
second addressed a juvenile case.
Coughlin added that “the Court tries to
schedule especially interesting cases for
its visits, and this year [was] no
exception.”
Following the oral arguments, the judges
invited the audience to ask questions and
attended a light reception with law
students and members of the law school
community. Following the reception the
judges joined Dean Blake Morant, several
Wake Law professors, and the Moot Court
Executive Board, consisting of Laura
Twichell (Chief Justice), Jennifer Skinner
(Associate Chief Justice), and Linda Boss
(Marshall) for dinner at Meridian
Restaurant in Winston-Salem.
Judge Davis attending afternoon tea with students and staff
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WFU Moot Court Board Annual Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
WFU Moot Court Board Alumni Newsletter
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
Thank You to the following Moot Court Board alumni
that helped judge our competitions this year:
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Patrick Kane—Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Travis Martin—Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Whitney Passmore—Womble Carlyle
Sarah Crotts—Womble Carlyle
Adam Setzer—Womble Carlyle
Luke MacDowall—Robinson & Lawing, LLP
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Adam White—Pinto Coates Kyre & Bowers
Dylan Greenwood—Attorney-at-Law
Vanessa Zboreak—Professor at Wake Law
Zoe Niesel—Professor at Wake Law
If you know a Moot Court alum who would like to receive this e-mail and be added to our list, or if you would rather not receive an annual
Alumni Newsletter, feel free to contact us at wfumootcourtboard@gmail.com
2013-2014 Moot Court Board
Chief Justice: Laura Twichell
Associate Chief Justice: Jennifer Skinner
Marshall: Linda Boss
Third Year Members
Atolani Akinkuotu
Michael Bixby
Erin Blackwell
Candace Casey
Bethany Corbin
Becky Echevarria
Chris Edwards
Mark Gurzo
Craig Harasimowicz
Nathan Harrill
Austen Irrobali
Justin Jenkins
Nathan Kupka
Justin May
Pat Naples
Nik Ortega
Adam Stoddard
Lauren Timmons
Zach Underwood
Emily Unnasch
Taryn Walker
Pat Wallace
Lindsay Watson
Erin Woodrum
Ebbie Yazdani
Second Year Members
Josh Adams
John Blanchard
Melissa Bryson
Jordan Dongell
Zachary Dunn
Aimee Durant
Karon Fowler
Stephen Frost
Tee Hassold
Lauren Huddleston
Brooke Loucks
Caroline Massagee
Kelsey Meuret
Jim Miller
Andrew Parrish
Davis Phillips
Jasmine Pitt
Kelly Russo
Kimberly Sokolich
Gustin Vandiford
Douglas Walters
Ashley Waring
JD Wooten
Christine York
Anastasia Bond
Third Year Members
Joshua Bussen
Carrie Daniel
Lauren Emery
Meredith FitzGibbon
Kayla Frederickson
Alicha Grubb
Elissa Hachmeister
Alexis Iffert
Cheslie Kryst
Catherine Law
Ryan McIntyre
Daniel Menken
Blaydes Moore
Kaitlin Price
Elizabeth Ruocco
Mackenzie Salenger
Rachel Shields
Ashley Sims
Emily Singer
Olivia Stidham