UDM Events

The Docket: Spring 2009

Moot Court: A Banner Year

It has literally been a banner year for the School of Law’s Moot Court program this year.  A walk through the School’s Atrium is all the proof you need.  Hanging on the north wall of the Atrium is a banner that reads “2009 National Champions.”  As if that weren’t enough to brag about, two other Moot Court teams achieved significant wins this year, garnering the titles of 2008 Chicago Bar Association Champions and 2009 Jessup Midwest Super Regional Finalists.

The National Championship team consists of students Jennifer Dukarski (3L) and Daniel Whittal (3L), brief writer/student coach Shannon Snee (2L), and faculty coach Professor Michelle Streicher.  The first annual National Moot Court Competition, hosted by the Blakely Law Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, was an invitation-only competition that included the top 16 moot court programs in the country.  Teams were selected based upon their success in qualifying tournaments during the 2007-2008 season and were acknowledged to be the "best of the best" from across the nation from the past year.  The UDM team faced University of California Hastings, University of Miami, Regent University, University of Colorado, and University of Memphis in the preliminary rounds, where they argued an environmental problem based on a case that was previously argued before the United States Supreme Court.  The team ultimately defeated Regent University in the final round to win the first-ever title of “National Moot Court Champions.”   

The Chicago Bar Association Championship team includes students John Murray (3L), Lisa Meerschaert (3L) and Chris Kenrick (3L), who defeated more than 30 teams in the competition with guidance from alumnus Sean Cowley, ’08, and faculty coach Professor Julie St. John.  This team argued a 14th Amendment case involving a claim of sex discrimination in college admissions. 

The Jessup International Law Moot Court team was named Midwest Super Regional Finalists and, for the first time in UDM history, qualified for the World Rounds held in Washington, D.C. in April thanks to the hard work of students Robert Walker (3L), Amanda Gossai (2L), Carla Hanneman (2L), Yalda Riahi (2L) and Shannon Snee (2L), as well as faculty coach Professor Cara Cunningham.  During the quarterfinals of the super-regional tournament, the UDM team came up against last year’s Jessup World Champions, Case Western Reserve University.  UDM beat them in a head-to-head competition, and only narrowly lost to Northwestern University in the final round. Both UDM and Northwestern represented the Midwest Regional in the World Rounds and had the opportunity to argue against teams from all over the world.  Other countries participating included Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong (China), Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Panama, Puerto Rico, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and the West Indies.  UDM’s team was 3-1 in the preliminary rounds of the world competition and finished 29th overall out of 110 teams.  In addition, 3 of 4 UDM oralists finished in the top 80 of more than 400 individual oralists.  The Jessup International Moot Court Competition is the world’s largest moot court competition and provides students with the opportunity to argue issues of international concern before the International Court of Justice.  This year’s world champion was Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

The recent successes of the UDM Moot Court teams are due to several factors, not the least of which is the leadership and structure provided by Professors Michelle Streicher and Cara Cunningham, along with assistance from many other faculty members.  Students agree that it’s thanks to a dedicated faculty that practice sessions are so “aggressive” and “intense.”  The professors encourage 100 hours of practice before a major competition, and students like Jessup team member Carla Hanneman (2L) understand the benefits of putting in the time.  “It helps with flexibility, because they’re constantly forcing you to look at the case from every possible angle.  By the time you’re in front of the judge, nothing surprises you anymore,” she says.  Being a part of the Moot Court program means putting in about as much work as you would if you were taking two extra classes, but it’s the kind of challenge on which students like these thrive.  “You become so busy that you don’t even have the time to realize how busy you are.  You just get things done and move on,” says Jessup team member Yalda Riahi (2L).  Even the try-outs to join Moot Court require a level of commitment.  At the end of their first year, students who wish to join the prestigious program must submit a writing sample, give a short oral argument which is filmed for in-depth review, and have an impressive academic record.

This kind of dedication from the students and faculty members paid off in a big way, but the benefits go further than bringing home trophies.  Participation in Moot Court “absolutely bolsters your confidence, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase your talent in front of prominent members of the profession,” according to National Champion team member Jennifer Dukarski (3L).  The program not only provides these future professionals with visibility, it also prepares them for the stress they will face and the teamwork they will rely on in the real world of practice.  “[Moot Court] rounds out your professional skills in a way you couldn’t get in a classroom alone,” says Carla Hanneman. 

According to Professor Streicher, “Moot Court is gaining recognition across the country as a great way to actively train students and develop their skills for future practice.”  It comes as no surprise that the School of Law has focused on developing a strong Moot Court program as it continues to gain national recognition.  The competitiveness of UDM’s program is five or six years in the making, and new ideas are still being developed.  Professor Streicher’s fall 2009 goal is to establish an active Moot Court Board of Alumni.  “We already have alums who have actively coached and travelled with the teams to competitions.  Their help and experience have been invaluable, and we want to give them a more concrete way to participate,” she says.  Any level of help would be appreciated, as the program sets higher and higher goals for itself.  The program’s success has been a team effort all around, and it’s making all the difference.  

Alumni who are interested in participating in Moot Court in any capacity or joining the Moot Court Board of Alumini may contact Professor Michelle Streicher at (313) 596-0228 or streicmi@udmercy.edu.

Moot Court Board of Advocates