RICHMOND, Va. – A trio of Campbell Law student advocates has collected the championship title at the National Moot Court Competition Fourth Circuit Regional. Chris Moore, Morgan Pierce, and Ellen Williams topped a trio from Wake Forest in the title round, punching their ticket to the finals in New York City in late January. In addition to winning the regional, the team also received the award for best brief.
In the preliminary rounds, Moore, Pierce and Williams defeated teams from Kentucky and Elon. They were then named as one of the eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals. From there, it was all Campbell Law. Pierce and Williams, arguing as respondents, eliminated teams from William & Mary in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. At this point, having won their semifinal round, the team was guaranteed a spot in Manhattan for the competition’s national component.
In the championship round, Moore and Pierce argued on behalf of the petitioner against Wake Forest. Notably, Wake Forest had won the regional last year and then taken the championship in New York. Both teams had the top two briefs in the regional going into the finals. The championship panel included both federal judges and members of the Virginia Supreme Court. At the conclusion of the competition, Campbell Law was named champion.
In addition to Moore, Pierce, and Williams, a second team of Campbell Law student advocates also competed. Taylor Elkins, Monique Kreisman, and Shauna Gibson dropped a close round to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then beat their opponents from Louisville.
The National Moot Court Competition is an annual interschool tournament co-sponsored by New York City Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Since 1950, it has promoted the appellate advocacy arts of intellectual rigor, legal research, and persuasive argument. This historic competition allows student advocates to hone their appellate advocacy skills before prominent members of the legal profession. Every year more than 120 law schools compete in regional rounds throughout the United States, with winners advancing to final rounds at the New York City Bar.