The Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board begins another record-breaking season
On the heels of a #6 national ranking and several noteworthy awards during the 2007-2008 academic year, the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board (MCB) at the University of Miami School of Law is working toward another record-breaking season. The board’s teams have received top honors at each competition they’ve participated in this semester.
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UM Law's Moot Court Board teams pause for photos after three regional competitions. |
At the 2009 ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition, held at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law on February 7, 2009, UM Law teammates Paul Masdeu and Megan Sincore, both 2Ls, took 2nd place honors. In addition, the ABA selected the duo to represent the southeastern states at the national competition in March. UM Law teams have had a long history of success at the Client Counseling Competition. The 2007 team won the regional competition. This year’s team was coached by UM Law alumnus Jonathan Weiss, JD ’08, an associate at Cole, Scott, & Kissane, P.A. who won the competition and coordinated the southeast regional while studying at the Law School.
MCB teams also trumped competing teams at the prestigious National Security Law Moot Court Competition, held February 19-21, 2009 at George Washington University. It was the first time UM Law participated in the competition, and teammates Leigh-Ann Buchanan, 3L, and Kelly Casey, 2L, finished in first place and took home the Best Brief Award. The duo beat teams from several top law schools including Cornell and Fordham. During the final round, Buchanan and Casey argued before Gregory G. Garre, the 44th Solicitor General of the United States; the Honorable Mark Harvey, the former Chief Judge of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals; and the Honorable Richard J. Leon, a current judge on the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. The team was coached by UM Law alumnus Richard Jones, JD ’08, an associate at Stephens, Lynn, Klein, LaCava & Puya P.A. and former executive vice-president of the MCB.
At the 2009 National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) regionals, held in Boston from February 26 to March 1, UM Law teams went toe to toe for seven rounds of oral arguments against teams from the University of Florida, the University of Minnesota, and Marquette University, among others. Representing the Law School in the competition were third-year law students Christopher Pizzo, Kimberly Freedman, and Rachel Dubin and second-year law students Daniel Poterek, Jenea Reed, and Lea Valdivia. Pizzo and Freedman were recognized with Best Oral Advocate Awards. They were the only teammates in the competition to win individual awards. Additionally their team, which included Reed, ranked 6th overall. The NAAC is generally recognized as the most prestigious moot court competition in the country. UM Law’s teams were coached by UM Law alumnus Harvey Sepler, JD ’84, an adjunct professor at the Law School and a noted appellate attorney.
With the recognition it has earned at these three well-regarded competitions, the MCB is well on its way to meeting and exceeding last year’s success.
(Photos from top to bottom: 2Ls Megan Sincore and Paul Masdeu at the ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition; Kelly Casey (left) and Leigh-Ann Buchanan (right) with the judges from the final round of the National Security Law Moot Court Competition; and Jenea Reed, Christopher Pizzo, Kimberly Freedman, Rachel Dubin, Daniel Poterek, and Lea Valdivia at the NAAC.)
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posted 13-March-2009
