Trial Advocacy Division has Big Weekend

In one weekend, teams from the Trial Advocacy Division turned in dominate performances at two of the nation's premier trial advocacy competitions. Long known as a trial advocacy powerhouse, Georgetown demonstrated once again that its advocates are among the nation's best.

In the national finals of the Student Trial Advocacy Competition, sponsored by the American Association of Justice, The team of Maggie Nettesheim (2L), Meredith Ragany (2L), Paul Halliday (2L), and Mike Fitzgerald (2L) reached the quarter-finals. The team was coached by Amir Sadeghy. At the National Trial Competition finals, hosted by the Texas Young Lawyer's Association in San Antonio, Lars Hulsebus (3L) and Amanda Tuminelli (3L) blew out the competition to emerge as champions! Lars, closing for the prosecution in the final round, was also named Best Advocate. The team was coached by alumnus Jeremy Widder and received assistance from Ryan Guptill (3L)

62^nd Annual Robert J. Beaudry Moot Court Competition Results

Samuel Lehman emerged victorious in the 62nd Annual Robert J. Beaudry Moot Court Competition. In Georgetown's internal appellate advocacy competition, Lehman and finalist Tyler Clemons represented the petitioner, Danielle Lucy Carson, in the final round, while finalists Terrence McCarrick and Isaiah Peterson represented the United States as the respondent. The final round took place in the Hart Auditorium and was judged by an illustrious panel made up of the following judges and practitioners:

The Honorable Jerome Holmes, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

The Honorable Vanessa Ruiz, District of Columbia Court of Appeals

The Honorable Paul Friedman, United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Cliff Sloan, Partner – Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Ruthanne Deutsch, Senior Counsel – Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP

Georgetown team crowned 2013 Moot Court National Champions!

Barristers' Council members Jeff Golimowsky (3L) and Emily Chambers (3L) took home top honors in the 2013 Moot Court National Championship hosted by the University of Houston Law Center. The National Championship features the top 16 moot court programs in the nation, determined by their performance in the prior year, and is designed to determine the "best of the best" of moot court programs. 

This year, the competition featured a complicated appellate problem dealing with the validity of Stranger Originated Life Insurance. Competitors were judged on the quality of both their written briefs and their oral argument. Golimowsky and Chambers went 3-1 in the preliminary rounds and then swept the elimination rounds, defeating the only team to beat them in the preliminary rounds to win the championship.

Following the victory, Golimowsky expressed gratitude to the students, faculty, and staff of the Law Center who helped the pair to prepare for the competition and wrote in an email, "I have never been prouder to be a Hoya."

Georgetown Team Wins Veterans Law Moot

Barristers' Council members Jeff DeSousa (LAW '13) and Mitchell London (LAW '14) won the 2012 National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition. Hosted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association, and The George Washington University Law School, the competition featured a complex argument on the interplay of veteran's benefits, administrative regulations, and the insanity defense before a panel of judges from the CAVC.

DeSousa also won the award for Best Oralist and London won the award for Second Place Oralist. This is the second year in a row that Georgetown has won the Veterans Law Competition.

Trial Advocacy Division Sees Early Season Success

The Trial Advocacy Division's 2012-2013 competitive season is off to a successful start, winning both team and individual awards at several tournaments. Georgetown tied for first place at the Quinnipiac University Criminal Justice Advocacy Competition and was a quarter-finalist at the Sixth Annual National Pre-Trial Competition hosted by Stetson University. Gerogetown teams also turned in strong performances at the San Diego Defense Lawyers Mock Trial Competition and the Kelly Trial Advocacy Competition hosted by Fordham. Trial Advocacy Director Noel Miller (3L) won an individual award for best closing argument at Quinnipiac and newcomer Beth Lipman (2L) won for best opening statement at the Kelly Competition.