UB Moot Court Teams Excel
Several of UBalt's 21 moot court teams have excelled in recent competitions.
Michael Brook and Katherine Bloom won second place in the East Regional Finals of the Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Law Moot Court Competition the weekend of Feb. 7 in New York.
The Lefkowitz Brand Names Foundation Moot Court Team, coached by Robert McCord, J.D. '89, reports that the University of Baltimore team of Michael Brook and Katherine Bloom (right) took the Best Oralist Team Award in the National Finals of the Saul Lefkowitz Competition held at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The UBalt team argued in front of panels consisting of Administrative Trademark Judges from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Interlocutory Attorneys from the USPTO. During critiques, the UBalt team was complemented for their level of preparation, knowledge of the record, and use of the law. They were also praised for their ability to answer questions and return to their argument, stand their ground under extensive questioning forma five-judge panel, and to use examples from case law to illustrate the main points of their arguments. The judges further remarked on the team’s ability to present policy considerations and distinctive examples that a court could use to rule in favor of their clients.
The team is grateful to Professors Hubbard, Warnken, and Bessler for taking the time to moot them and provide valuable feedback as they prepared for nationals.
UB's Frederick Douglass Moot Court and Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial teams both placed fourth overall in the region. In addition, Olivia Margaret Fogarty was recognized as the best oral advocate in the moot court competition.
The Gibbons Criminal Law Moot Court Team coached by The Hon. Laurie Bennett competed in the 22nd John J. Gibbons National Moot Court Competition at Seton Hall University School of Law on March 20-21. The team of Jessica Swadow, Emily Greene, and Chris Monte were among the top eight out of 42 teams and won best respondent brief of the competition.
The International Environmental Law Moot Court Team, coached by attorney Alyssa Joel, competed in the North America Regional Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition at American University Washington College of Law Feb. 6 – 9. The team of Shannon Stern, Melissa Vanni and Justin Wright made it to the semi-finals, losing a close battle to eventual champion Wake Forest School of Law. The team placed second overall on their memorial, and Wright received an award for fifth best oralist in the preliminary rounds. Joel reported that many judges expressed how impressed they were by the UBalt students.
UB's McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Team, coached by coached by Rima Kikani, J.D. ’14, placed fifth on brief nationally, and one team member, Marybeth Irons, placed as one of the top 10 best oral advocates in the preliminary rounds as well as one of the top 10 best oral advocates overall. Irons, along with teammates Allyson Bloom and Charlotte Clarke, advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to one of the winning teams (Chicago-Kent) by two points. Kikani congratulates her team on succeeding before challenging judges, such as the lead appellate attorney for their issue in the 8th Circuit, and on all the efforts they have put forward this season.
The Taxation Moot Court team, coached by
Professor Fred Brown
, took the award for second runner-up for oral argument in the 2015 National Tax Moot Court Competition held the weekend of Feb. 7 in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The UBalt team placed third out of 16 teams in oral argument. Brown said team members Timothy Carey, Brittany Hampton and April Inskeep “performed brilliantly” throughout the competition, receiving praise from the judges for their organization, knowledge of the law and facts, clarity, speaking technique, poise and persuasiveness.