Wake Forest University Wins National Moot Court Competition
New York, February 3, 2017 – Wake Forest University won the final round of the 67th Annual National Moot Court Competition held February 2 at the New York City Bar Association. The winning team was comprised of Blake Stafford, Mia Falzarano, and Matt Cloutier. Ohio State University was the runner-up, with a team comprised of Sara Coulter, Audry Klossner, and Arlene Boruchowitz.
Best Brief honors went to Wake Forest University, with Runner-Up Best Brief awarded to Ohio State University.
Best Oralist in the Final Round was Mia Falzarano. Runner-Up Best Oralist in the Final Round was Blake Stafford.
The final round was judged by Hon. Raymond Lohier, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Hon. Ellen Gesmer, Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, New York State Supreme Court; Hon. Jenny Rivera, Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, State of New York; Hon. Brian Cogan, District Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York; Bartholomew J. Dalton, President and Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers and Partner, Dalton and Associates; and John S. Kiernan, President, New York City Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Litigation Department at Debevoise and Plimpton.
This year’s problem involved two distinct and timely issues: (1) the jurisdictional reach of states to enforce their sales and use taxes in light of Supreme Court Justice Kennedy’s recent call to action concerning Quill v. North Dakota and (2) the scope of the “private citizen search” exception to the Fourth Amendment in the context of electronic devices.
The final argument was the culmination of more than six months of preparation and arguments by 185 teams from over 120 law schools across the country. The top two teams from each of the 14 regional competitions advanced to the February 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.
