Moot Court Teams Continue to Thrive on Zoom

In a final round hailed by the judges for the skill and subject mastery of both sides, ASLS's team of '3L's Gabriella Paez, Rachel Elliott, and Rita Regelbrugge won the 2021 Bryant-Moore Invitational Moot Court Contest sponsored by Howard University School of Law on March 5-6. The contest, featuring 31 teams representing 23 law schools from across the country, presented Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment issues posed by the involuntary assignment of prisoners to indefinite solitary confinement to protect them from Covid-19. The final round panel featured judges from the D.C. court system who brought their own first-hand experiences in adjudicating these issues to their vigorous questioning of the contestants. "Gabby, Rachel, and Rita reached a level of advocacy in the final rounds of the contest that was truly impressive," said their coach Ernie Isenstadt, " and their success was well deserved."

Earlier in the season, the moot court team of Sidney Jolliffe, Mahlon Mowrer, and Tim Swartz, reached the final round of the William B. Spong Moot Court Tournament sponsored by William & Mary Law School on February 12-14. A total of 50 teams competed in the event, which asked the students to address the proper application of policies prohibiting firearms in classrooms when the classroom is one's home. In addition to reaching the final round, the ASLS team was also recognized for writing the Best Brief for Respondent. "The extraordinary level of written and oral advocacy they displayed during the competition was a result of their incredible hard work and preparation," said their professor and coach Brandy Wagstaff, "and their achievements were deservedly earned."