Two mock trial teams from the LSU Law Center won first place in a pair of national competitions on March 24.
LSU Law students Zach Miller, right, and Max Roberts were crowned champions of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition’s North American regional rounds in Washington, D.C.
LSU Law students Zach Miller and Max Roberts were crowned champions of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition’s North American regional rounds in Washington, D.C. Participating for the first time in the competition, the team also took home the award for Best New Team.
The LSU Law team advances to the World Championships of the Space Law Court Competition, which will be held in October 2018 in Bremen, Germany. LSU Law will face the winners of the European, Asian-Pacific and African rounds of the competition.
The Law Center’s Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition team is coached by Professor and Moot Court/Trial Advocacy Director Jeff Brooks with assistance from Advocacy Fellow Annie Scardulla.
“I am ‘over the moon’ proud of our Space Law team. The hard work, determination, substantive space law and international law knowledge, and impressive advocacy skills that team members Zach Miller and Max Roberts demonstrated in every one of our practice moots clearly showed through at the competition rounds in Washington,” Brooks said. “LSU Law’s international and comparative law curriculum was essential in preparing the team for their success. It’s a privilege to coach these exceptional students, and we are excited to represent North America at the World Championships in Germany this fall.”
Also on March 24, LSU Law’s team of Jessie Finley, Sara Kuebel and Jacob Cunningham won the 2018 John R. Brown National Admiralty Law Moot Court Competition in Seattle. The national-championship-winning team also won the competition’s Maritime Law Association of the United States Award for the Best Brief.
With wins in 2015 and 2016, LSU Law has won three of the last four national championships at the Admiralty competition. LSU Law advanced to the semifinal round of the competition in 2017.
The Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition is an interscholastic appellate moot court competition sponsored each year by The University of Texas School of Law. More than 30 teams from law schools across the country face off in the annual competition.
The Law Center’s John R. Brown National Admiralty Law Moot Court Competition team is coached by Adjunct Professor Dean Sutherland (LSU Law ’75) of Jeansonne & Remondet and Phillip Smith (LSU Law ’16) of NeunerPate.
From left, LSU Law’s National Admiralty Law Moot Court Competition “Purple” team coach Dean Sutherland, Jessica Finley, Jacob Cunningham, Sara Kuebel, and coach Phillip Smith
“The Admiralty teams have continued their tradition of excellence by bringing home their third national title in four years. This year’s team members produced two practice-quality briefs on what was probably the most complex admiralty problem in recent years,” Brooks said. “Coaches Dean Sutherland and Phillip Smith then worked tirelessly with the students to get them championship-ready. They spent countless hours mooting the team and working through the problem’s difficult legal issues, and they also lined up an all-star array of LSU Law alumni specialists in maritime law and LSU Law faculty members for practice moots. Practice certainly makes perfect.”
These two titles mark the third national championship for LSU Law’s moot court and trial advocacy teams this academic year. LSU Law won the Peter James Johnson National Civil Rights Trial Competition on Oct. 22 at St. John’s University School of Law in New York City. LSU Law also finished second at the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Pace University in White Plains, N.Y., on Feb. 24.
“I am incredibly proud of our students and their performances in these national competitions,” LSU Law Dean Tom Galligan said. “These competitions help develop our students’ skills as persuasive advocates, and the continued success of our advocacy teams shows that our students leave LSU Law prepared for legal practice. Three national championships in one year is pretty special.”
The LSU Law Center’s Advocacy Programs are one of the largest law student advocacy skills training programs in the United States. More than 150 students participate annually in six internal competitions, more than 25 traveling competition, a series of skills workshops and boot camps, and related simulation courses to develop their skills as persuasive advocates.
