William VanDehei
LSU Law 3L student William VanDehei won the 2019 Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition on March 26 in the Robinson Courtroom of the LSU Law Center. Molly Reinhardt finished runner-up.
In the final round, VanDehei and Reinhardt argued the case of American Legion v. American Humanist Association, which involves whether a 93-year-old memorial to the fallen of World War I is an unconstitutional establishment of religion because it is shaped like a cross. The memorial was designed to be a war memorial, has consistently been a war memorial, and is on public land because of traffic safety concerns that arose after the memorial was built.
The case was judged by the Honorable John W. deGravelles, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana; the Honorable Toni Higginbotham, Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal; and Elizabeth Merrill, Solicitor General of Louisiana.
Justin DiCharia and Taylor Ashworth placed as semifinalists in the oral competition, and Patrick Voelker, Les Theriot, Chaz Cannova, and Marina Wilson each placed as quarterfinalists.
Hosted by the LSU Law Center Board of Advocates, the Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition refines students’ oral advocacy skills by arguing a series of real cases currently pending before the United States Supreme Court. The first competition was first held in the 2011-12 academic year.
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- Molly Reinhardt and William VanDehei
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- The Honorable Toni Higginbotham, Elizabeth Merrill, William VanDehei, and the Honorable John W. deGravelles
