{"id":28487,"date":"2019-10-09T16:42:27","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T20:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/?p=28487"},"modified":"2019-10-09T16:43:21","modified_gmt":"2019-10-09T20:43:21","slug":"moot-court-board-brings-home-another-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/index.php\/2019\/10\/09\/moot-court-board-brings-home-another-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"Moot Court Board brings home another championship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Photo
Stetson Moot Court Board team members who participated in the Annual Leroy R. Hassell Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition are, from left: Tyler Vaughn, Tiffani Thornton, Chris Lawson, Evan Dahdah, Audrey Gangloff, and James Nealon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Members of Stetson\u2019s Moot Court Board added another plaque\nto the case after winning the 19th\nAnnual Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition<\/a>\nat Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Oct. 4-5,\n2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-six teams from around the nation participated in the\ncompetition, including advocacy powerhouses Baylor, Liberty, St. Mary\u2019s, and\nSouth Texas. The issues were cutting edge and timely: one topic \u2013 whether the\nabolition of the insanity defense and substitution of a mens rea approach to\nevidence of mental impairment violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment \u2013\nwas argued in the United States Supreme Court in Kahler v. Kansas<\/em> the\nMonday after<\/em> the competition!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stetson fielded two teams for the competition. A team\ncomprising Chris Lawson, Tiffani Thornton, and Tyler Vaughn had the second-best\nbrief in the competition, but fell to South Texas in a close quarterfinal round.\nThe team with Evan Dahdah, Audrey Gangloff, and returning champion James Nealon\ndefeated teams that won the best petitioner\u2019s brief and best preliminary round\noralist before moving through two more rounds to go head-to-head with South\nTexas in the finals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team perseveres despite grueling questioning<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The team faced a panel of nine justices from federal\nappellate courts, including the Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Circuits, as well as\nstate supreme court justices. The justices showed no mercy, hammering the\noralists with questions as soon as they started to speak. The trio persevered\nand brought home the championship. To top it off, James won the award for the\nbest oralist in the final round!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Annual Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law\nMoot Court Competition is named in honor of the late former Chief Justice of\nthe Supreme Court of Virginia who dedicated his life to the fight for justice\nfor the Commonwealth\u2019s citizens. He championed constitutional rights and was\nthe first African American Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Nealon was on the 2018 winning team with alumni\nMadison Wahler and Deanna Cipriano. A photograph of him arguing last year\nbefore the panel of justices still graces the competition homepage<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor of Law Brooke J. Bowman and the Rev. Bill\nWildhack, Esq. (class of 2005) coached Stetson\u2019s teams at this year\u2019s\ncompetition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those keeping count, Stetson\u2019s current stats for championships are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n