Veteran Moot Win Dedicated to Memory of Classmate
This one’s for Logan.
For the seventh time in the competition’s 16-year history, a Stetson Law team secured a championship win at the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, DC.
Going into the November event, teammates Valeriya Gilmutdinova and Clayton Smith decided to give it their all in honor of Logan T. West, a classmate who passed away unexpectedly just days before he was set to compete in 2024.
West and Smith, who were teammates, had spent months preparing for the event and had worked together at Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute. As a Veterans Advocacy Clinic fellow, West inspired hope, collaboration, and camaraderie among those with whom he worked. “Logan was the kind of partner who made you better,” said Smith, who also won the Best Oral Advocate Award at this year’s competition. “Dedicating this win to him isn’t symbolic for us; it’s a reflection of the impact he had on me and the entire class of 2026. This wasn’t just for him; it was because of him.”
Embracing the challenge
Veterans law can be emotionally and intellectually demanding work. Coupled with the pressure of preparing for a national championship, it can become daunting.
Hearing that Smith wanted to honor West by competing this year but didn’t have a teammate, Gilmutdinova stepped up to the challenge. She said she was inspired by the example West, whom she knew from her 1L Section, set through the “care, kindness, hard work, and dedication,” he showed every day.
“We chose to dedicate this win in his honor because so much of what we achieved was inspired by his example,” she said. “This dedication is a promise to remember and uphold the values Logan embodied, guaranteeing that his spirit remains a part of every milestone the team celebrated.
Although the preparation schedule was grueling, Gilmutdinova said Smith’s dedication and tirelessness strengthened her resolve to work harder.
During his most challenging moments, Smith said he would reflect on the positive attitude that West exuded when things got tough.
“Whenever the preparation felt overwhelming, he’d remind us with his infamous line, ‘One pity party a day.’ He joked that he always used his up too early. That was his spirit: honest, hopeful, and always pushing forward,” Smith said.
Building on years of success
Stetson Law won the inaugural Veterans Law Moot in 2009 and went on to win six more times. At five wins, only Baylor comes close to Stetson’s record. Smith was also the seventh Stetson student to win Best Oral Advocate Award.
Faculty and staff with Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute helped the teamwork through some challenging constitutional and veterans benefits issues. A special thanks to the team’s co-coach, Christopher Gieger.
The Chief Justice in the competition’s final round was former Stetson Law Professor and Veterans Law Institute Director Mike Allen, who is now chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
“Their achievement is remarkable alone, but the heart behind it is what really struck me,” said Morgan Zimarakos, interim director of the Veterans Advocacy Clinic. “Clayton and Valeriya carried the memory of their classmate with them throughout the competition as a beautiful tribute to his spirit and their shared dedication. I couldn’t be prouder.”
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Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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