LSU Law 2L Patrick Riley poses with the 2024 Dean’s Cup trophy and 3L Madeline McKenzie Connelly, who won last year’s Dean’s Cup and helped organize this year’s tournament as Director of Internal Appellate Competitions for the Board of Advocates.
Second-year LSU Law student Patrick Riley won the 2024 Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition on Monday, April 1, besting 3L Foster Willie in the competition’s final round in the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s Robinson Courtroom. Riley was awarded the coveted foot-tall solid crystal Dean’s Cup trophy.
“It was a privilege to compete for the Dean’s Cup against the best future appellate litigators at LSU Law,” Riley said. “My co-finalist, 3L Foster Willie, was particularly exceptional and it was an honor to argue against him.”
Riley and Willie presented oral arguments before a distinguished panel of judges that included LSU Law Dean and Professor Alena M. Allen, LSU Law Professor John Devlin, and Hon. Guy P. Holdridge (’78) of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal.
“The opportunity to advocate before distinguished judges while in law school is invaluable and I am grateful for all that LSU Law has to offer,” Riley said. “I hope to use this experience to grow my skills in appellate practice as I pursue a career in litigation. I would like to thank Dean Allen, Professor Devlin, Judge Holdridge and the Board of Advocates for their efforts in hosting a great competition.”
The Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition is the last of six internal advocacy competitions offered to LSU Law students throughout the academic year. Students competing for the Dean’s Cup prepare and present appellate oral arguments in a series of real cases that are currently before the United States Supreme Court.
In this year’s final round, the finalists argued NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton, which asks the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether the First Amendment prohibits viewpoint, content, or speaker-based laws restricting social media websites from engaging in editorial choices about whether, and how, to publish and disseminate speech—or otherwise burdening those editorial choices through operational and disclosure requirements.
