November 21, 2017

SVSU students shine at moot court competition, qualify for national tournament

Saginaw Valley State University's nationally-ranked undergraduate moot court program continued its success at the American Moot Court Association regional tournament in Ohio at the University of Akron College of Law November 17-18.

Jrew Brickel, a criminal justice major from Midland, and Lindsey Mead, an English literature major from Saginaw, competed as a team following months of determined study and preparation. They bested tandems from the University of Maryland, the University of Wooster and others, to finish third at the regional and qualify for the national tournament in Dallas January 19-20.

In addition, Mead and Brickel each received awards for their oratory skills. Mead was awarded third place and Brickel finished tenth among the 40 students competing in the oratory contest.

Acting as teams of two attorneys, students in a moot court competition are tasked with arguing a hypothetical case. They are judged based on the clarity of their argument, their public speaking skills, their ability to answer questions, and how well they know the law and the case.

Since being formed in 2009, SVSU's moot court program has seen at least one team of students advance to the national tournament each year. SVSU’s team is currently ranked No. 24 in the nation. (http://www.acmamootcourt.org/top-programs-in-intercollegiate-moot-court) More than 350 colleges and universities currently field undergraduate moot court teams. Julie Keil, assistant professor of political science and a former attorney, serves as SVSU’s moot court advisor.

SVSU also had teams compete the preceding weekend in Chicago, and all SVSU teams advanced to the second day of the competition. The first-year team of McKenzie Stone, a business management major from Prescott and Sara Bedrosian, a criminal justice major from Corunna, advanced to the quarterfinals. The team of Jacquob Littlejohn, a political science major from Auburn, and Nora Lipetzky, a political science major from Palos Heights, Illinois, made it to the top 16. 

For more information about the American Moot Court Association, please visit http://www.acmamootcourt.org/.