Two second-year law students dominated their peers to win top honors in the Advocates’ Prize Moot Court Competition at the College of Law this week.
Evan Rothey won for best brief and best team, while Sharon Kumi won as best oralist.
The annual competition enables students to prepare for courtroom experience by presenting an oral argument before a panel of professional judges.
Judges prepare for the competition by reviewing a bench brief so that they are familiar with the facts and case law and can ask questions pertaining to the issues raised.
Students are then judged on a variety of factors, including content and persuasiveness of argument, knowledge and use of legal authority and poise and effectiveness in responding to questions from the bench.
Law students Nicholas Allen, Daniel Aims, Meg Austin, William Beasley, Jon Fromke, Brook Heavener, Sharon Kumi, Jenna Macnair, Shanndor McClain, Jasmyn McCalla, Phebe McLin, Dillon Parker, Evan Rothey, Andrew Schrack, Blake Tate and Taylor Ward faced off in preliminary competitions throughout the week leading to the final event Thursday.
United States Court of Appeals judges Joseph A. Greenway, Jr., Carlos F. Lucero and Stephanie D. Thacker heard the students’ final round arguments.