Northwestern Law Wins National Moot Court Competition
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law won the final round of the 68th Annual National Moot Court Competition held February 1 at the New York City Bar Association. The winning team was comprised of Brendan Gerdes, Taylor Mullaney and L.J. Pavletic. The USC Gould School of Law was the runner-up, with a team comprised of Zoe Steinberg and Rachel Yang.
Best Brief honors went to the University of Iowa College of Law, with Runner-Up Best Brief awarded to the University of Washington.
Best Oralist in the Final Round was Taylor Mullaney. Runner-Up Best Oralist in the Final Round was L.J. Pavletic.
The final round was judged by Hon. Carol Bagley Amon, U. S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Hon. Ann M. Donnelly, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Hon. Debra James, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, New York County; Hon. Dennis Jacobs, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Hon. Robert R. Reed, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court; Samuel H. Franklin, President of the American College of Trial Lawyers; and John S. Kiernan, President of the New York City Bar Association.
The two issues in this year’s problem involved the First Amendment in the realm of retaliatory arrests and the Fourth Amendment as it applies to standing of unauthorized drivers operating rental cars to challenge searches. Specifically, they were: (1) whether a plaintiff alleging retaliatory arrest suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 must plead a lack of probable cause as an element of her claim; and (2) whether an unauthorized rental car driver has standing to challenge a search of that vehicle as violative of the Fourth Amendment.
The final argument was the culmination of more than six months of preparation and arguments by teams from over 150 law schools across the country. The top two teams from each of the 14 regional competitions advanced to the final rounds.
The Competition is co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the National Moot Court Competition Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Photos are available on request.
About the Association
The New York City Bar Association, since its founding in 1870, has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the legal profession, promoting reform of the law and access to justice, and providing service to the profession and the public. The Association, through its 24,000 members, continues to work for political, legal and social reform while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the Association’s highest priorities. www.nycbar.org
