Moot Court Teams

2009–2010 Moot Court Teams

The UB interscholastic moot court teams are appellate oral advocacy teams, which compete in prestigious regional and national competitions against other law schools around the country. Team Members are selected for each of the nineteen moot court teams via the Byron L. Warnken Annual Consolidated Moot Court Competition.

**NEW** Visit our Moot Court Team Announcement page to see how our teams have done this year!

TEAM SUMMARIES

*Please note that this list is intended as a guide only. Many competition dates and deadlines have not yet been set for the upcoming year. Students are strongly encouraged to do their own research and to update that research regularly. Thus, students are responsible for knowing the details and deadlines of competitions.

The American Intellectual Property Law Association Moot Court Team
The namesake for this team is the single largest independent intellectual property (IP) law attorney organization. The Association sponsors the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition and it remains the oldest and most distinguished IP moot court competition in the United States. An example of an IP topic is patent invalidation. Although there is some preliminary preparation commenced during the fall semester, the bulk of the work to complete the Brief is done after fall exams and throughout the winter break. The brief is due in early February. The two-member team competes in mid-March in the Regional competition held in Boston, Massachusetts. This team has had many past successes, including Regional Semi-Finalists at the 2006-2007 competition, advancement several times to the National Competition, and National Finalist once. Team Advisor Professor William Hubbard may be contacted via email.

Brand Names Foundation Moot Court Team
The Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, hosted by The International Trademark Association, is the only competition in the United States with a focus on trademark and unfair competition law. Students argue the case before a panel of learned volunteer attorneys as well as jurists from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The deadline to submit the team's brief is early January. The team competes in New York City in early February. Adjunct Professor Robert McCord is the team advisor and may be reached via email.

Cardozo- BMI Moot Court Team
Students participating on the Cardozo-BMI Moot Court Team focus on topics related to Entertainment and Communications Law. Team members typically write their brief during the winter break before they compete in late February. Co-sponsored by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), The Cardozo-BMI Entertainment & Communications Law Moot Court Competition is held at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, New York. It attracts not only sharp legal minds from law schools across the country, but also draws top judges and lawyers who offer insight and direction to the competitors. Adjunct Professor and team advisor, Nicholas Szokoly may be reached via email.

James Braxton Craven, Jr. Moot Court Team
This competition is named in memory of Judge J. Braxton Craven who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from his appointment by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, until his death on May 3, 1977. The team prepares a brief on various constitutional issues during winter break to be filed in early February. The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Law hosts the James Braxton Craven, Jr. Memorial Moot Court Competition in late February. This competition is limited to 20 schools; therefore, UB's participation is subject to the order in which registrations are received and accepted by the competition. Adjunct Professor, Greg Rapisarda is the team's advisor. He may be reached via email.

The Frederick Douglass Moot Court Team
This team briefs and argues issues relevant issues to the African-American community. The team typically drafts their brief between October and November and competes in late January to early February each year. The Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition is hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Black Law Students' Association in Crystal City, Virginia. The team placed fourth regionally at the 2006 competition.

PREREQUISITE: Participation on the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Team requires student membership in Black Law Students' Association (BLSA) one year prior to the competition.

Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Team
Named for a United States Court of Appeals Judge for the Seventh Circuit, this competition is dedicated completely to constitutional issues. The brief is due in early March. The Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition is hosted by the University of Wisconsin Law School during late March in Madison, Wisconsin. Professor Keith S. Blair is the faculty advisor for the team and may be reached via email.

Domenick Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Team
This team is relatively new, competing in its inaugural competition during spring 2007. Problems involve current issues in family law. The 2007 competition involved reproductive rights. The brief is typically written toward the end of the fall semester and during Winter break and is submitted in January. The competition is hosted by the University of Albany School of Law in New York and is held in early March. The team is jointly coached by Professor Leigh Goodmark, who may be reached via email, and by former Chair of the Moot Court Board, Tamara Sanders, who may be reached via email.

John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Team
Inspired by past Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and now in its fifteenth year, the John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition focuses on criminal procedure and criminal law issues. The brief for this competition is due in early March. The competition is hosted by Seton Hall University School of Law and takes place in late March at the school in Newark, New Jersey. The coach for this team is Adjunct Professor, Brian DeLeonardo, who may be reached via email.

International Environmental Moot Court Team
This team competes in The International Environmental Moot Court Competition, and focuses on biodiversity and general environmental issues. The field is limited to 16 teams. UB's participation is subject to the order in which registrations are received and accepted by the competition. The brief is due in October and the competition is hosted in early November by Stetson University School of Law, in Gulfport, Florida. The team's faculty advisor is Professor Steven Davison who may be reached via email.

International Human Rights Moot Court Team
Team members argue human rights violations in front of experts acting as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition is a unique trilingual (English, Portuguese, and Spanish) competition incorporating an array of issues such as: state of emergency, freedom of speech, gender discrimination & rape, freedom of press, right to life, torture, fair trial, labor unions and indigenous rights. Typically the team's brief must be filed by late March. The competition, hosted by American University, Washington College of Law is held during mid- May in Washington, D.C. The team is coached by Adjunct Professor Nicholas Sellers, who can be reached via email.

Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Team
The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition involves arguing a hypothetical case on issues of international law as if before the International Court of Justice. Past issues included protecting human rights and responding to acts of terrorism. The brief is due in mid-January and the team members compete in February. The competition is hosted by the American Society of International Law in Washington, DC.  Former team member Laura Burrows is the coach; she may be contacted via email. 

Labor Law Moot Court Team
Named in honor of a late United States Senator, and distinguished alumnus of New York Law School, The Robert F. Wagner National Labor & Employment Law Moot Court Competition is the nation's largest student-run moot court competition and the only national competition dedicated exclusively to the areas of labor and employment law. The brief is due in February and the competition is held in New York, New York in early March. The team's advisor, adjunct professor Darrel VanDeusen, can be reached via email.

William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Team
Prior case topics for this team have included redistricting and voting rights, affirmative action in public employment, and lethal injections in capital punishment cases. Briefs can be written over winter break and are due by mid-January. The University of Minnesota Law School hosts the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition in Minneapolis during late February and early March. Adjunct Professor Shannon Avery is team advisor and may be contacted via email.

National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Team
Sponsored by the American Bar Association, this prestigious competition is the largest in the nation consisting of 200 teams. Addressing various issues on appeal, this team competes in a regional final between late February and mid-March depending on the regional competition location the team selects. Electronic and bound briefs are due in late January. The National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition finals will be held in Chicago, Illinois during April. Contact coach Tom Stahl, via email, or coach Adam Ruther, via email.  

PREREQUISITE: Participation on the National Appellate Advocacy Team requires student membership in the American Bar Association upon joining the team.

National Environmental Law Moot Court Team
The team briefs and argues issues such as illegal dumping of hazardous waste, vicarious criminal liability of corporate officers for their company's environmental crimes and commerce clause limits on water pollution regulation. The brief is due in January. Pace Law School hosts The National Environmental Moot Court Competition in White Plains, New York during late February. This competition offers a unique experience for oral advocacy as three groups compete simultaneously: the government, a public interest group and a member of the regulated industry. For more information, contact either Adjunct Professor Michael Flannery, via email, or coach Patricia Smith, via email.

National Moot Court Team
Since 1950, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, in conjunction with the American College of Trial Lawyers, has sponsored the National Moot Court Competition, one of the most prestigious competitions in the nation. Usually, the case presents issues currently under consideration in several federal courts of appeals and which are likely to reach the Supreme Court in a real case in the near future. Briefs are normally due in mid-October with competition held in November. Many Fellows of the College assist as judges in regional competitions and at the finals held in New York each year.  Contact either coach Eric Klein via email or coach Brad Peabody via email.

National Taxation Moot Court Team
The issues briefed and argued by this team include federal tax procedure, partnership taxation, federal estate and gift taxation, and income tax controversies, as well as tax policy. The brief must be filed by mid-January. The National Tax Moot Court Competition is hosted by the Tax Section of the Florida Bar Association is held in St. Petersburg, Florida during early February. Alternately, the team competes in the Albert R. Mugel National Tax Moot Court Competition, hosted by the University of Buffalo Law School in New York, and held during late February or early March. The team has held many honors in the past, to include Quarter Finalist Team in 2005. Professor Fred Brown, the faculty advisor, may be reached via email.

Thomas Tang National Moot Court Team
Administered by the The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation and Judicial Council, the competition honors the late United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, Thomas Tang- a champion of individual rights, an advocate for the advancement of minority attorneys, and an ardent supporter of NAPABA and of the moot court competition. The Brief is typically due in early fall. The Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition is held in mid-October at American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. The team's advisor is Adjunct Professor Judge Brian Kim who may be contacted via email.

Telecommunications Moot Court Team
This team competes every year in the Telecommunications Moot Court Competition hosted by Catholic University and the Federal Communications Bar Association. Representative issues include indecency standards used by the FCC to regulate television programming, restriction by the FCC as permitted under the First Amendment, and the different standards for broadcast and cable programming. The team drafts their brief over winter break and files it in early January. The competition is conducted at the Columbus School of Law and is historically held in early February in Washington, D.C. The team's faculty adviser is Professor Eric Easton who may be contacted via email.