External Competitions

ABA – National Appellate Advocacy Competition

The ABA Law Student Division's National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) emphasizes the development of oral advocacy skills through a realistic appellate advocacy experience.  Competitors participate in a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The competition involves writing a 40-page brief as either respondent or petitioner and then arguing the case in front of the mock court. 

Teams first compete in a regional competition.  Four teams advance from each of the regional competitions to compete at the ABA – NAAC Nationals in Chicago, IL. 

ABA - Arbitration Competition

The National ABA Arbitration Competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association Law Student Division and the National Arbitration Forum, begins with regional arbitration competitions in four locations in November and concludes with National Finals held in January. Created in 2005, the competition seeks to promote greater knowledge and interest among law students about arbitration by simulating a realistic arbitration hearing. Participating students learn how to think, act and, be an advocate representing a client through arbitration. The students prepare and present an arbitration case and are involved in opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and summations. 2007-2008 was the first year Mississippi College School of Law competed in the Arbitration Competition. MCSOL’s team excelled at the Regional Competition only to be eliminated by the team who won the Alabama Regional. Their strong performance earned them a spot to compete at the National Competition along with 15 other teams from four other regions throughout the country. MCSOL’s team had the 2nd Highest Score of the preliminary round at the National Competition.

In the 2007-2008 competition, there were 42 teams consisting of 168 competitors representing 30 participating ABA-approved law schools. National Arbitration Forum arbitrators and ABA members served as volunteer judges at both the Regional Competitions and National Competitions. Mississippi College School of Law participated in the Alabama Regional Competition along with the following schools:

Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, GA
Florida A&M University College of Law, Orlando, FL, two teams
Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C.
Mississippi College School of Law, Jackson, MS
Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Highland Heights, KY, two teams
Rutgers University - Camden - School of Law, Camden, NJ
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham, AL
Villanova University School of Law, Villanova, PA
MCSOL’s team, coached by Bill Leech of Copeland, Cook, Taylor and Bush, consisted of the following members:
Andy Clark (Class of 08)-Attorney
Chelsea Brannon(Class of 08)-Attorney
Tray Hairston (Class of 09)-Witness
Ashley Nader (Class of 09)-Witness

Duberstein Moot Court Competition

St. John's University School of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute sponsor the 2008 Annual Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein National Bankruptcy Memorial Moot Court Competition to be held at St. John's University in New York.
In 2008, there are two Chapter 11 issues: (1) Whether an agreement granting one creditor the right to vote the claim of another creditor is enforceable in a chapter 11 case? (2) Whether a chapter 11 plan of reorganization may be confirmed where a senior class voluntarily gives up value to a junior class without paying in full the claims of an intermediate rejecting class?

Mississippi College School of Law has a history of success at Duberstein:
1998: Finalist, Semi-finalist
2001: Best Preliminary Round Oralist & Best Brief
2006: Second Place Finalist & Best Brief
2007: Second Place Finalist & two teams Quarter Finalists

The 2008 Teams:
Petitioner:
Tray Hairston (Issue 1)
Ashley Nader (Issue 2)
Jonathan Bissette (Brief Writer)

Respondent:
Kelly Hollingsworth (Issue 1)
Amy Strickland (Issue 2)
Clifford Ammons (Brief Writer)

Coaches:
Bill Leech and Danny Ruhl of Copeland, Cook, Taylor, and Bush

Frederick Douglas Moot Court Competition

Founded in 1968, the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) is the largest student-run organization in the nation. Comprised of six regions (Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Rocky Mountain, Southern and Western), NBLSA annually hosts the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition. Regionals are held in concurrence with each respective region’s regional convention. The national competition, held concurrently with the annual NBLSA national convention, is comprised of the top three teams from each region.

Issues presented have included Title VII – regarding reverse discrimination; the First Amendment - regarding the right of public schools to regulate student speech in traditional public forums and the ability to bring a Section 1983 claim for violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Mississippi College School of Law has had success in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition:
2006: Regional Champion, Marlena Pickering and Beverly Walker
2008: Fourth at the Regional Competition, Joslyn Anthony and Denita Smith
2008: Third at the Regional Competition and advancing to Nationals to be held March 26-30, 2008, Jana Edmondson and Katrell Nash

Picture left to right: Joslyn Anthony, Denita Smith, Katrell Nash, and Jana Edmondson

Mississippi Trial Competition

National Religious Freedoms Moot Court Competition

National Trial Competition

The National Trial Competition (NTC) is an inter-law school trial competition sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Texas Young Lawyers Association.  The regional competition usually takes place in February of each year.  Teams involved in the competition present the trial in its entirety three times with the best eight teams advancing to the semifinals.  The two regional winners advance to the National Competition, which is held in Texas later in the Spring Semester, usually in late March or early April. 
A trial team consists of two law students who serve as the trial attorneys, with the option of a third team member who must present a case-in-chief at the competition.  Law schools are permitted to send two teams to the regional competition.  Each trial involves opening and closing statements as well as the direct and cross examination of each of the four witnesses (with two in each case-in-chief).  The competition problem alternates between civil and criminal.  The problem arrives late in the fall semester, and the months of January and February involve a heavy commitment of time to prepare for the competition.

Pace Environmental Law Competition

Rendigs Products Liability Competition

The August A. Rendigs, Jr. National Products Liability Moot Court Competition is hosted by the University of Cincinnati College of Law in Cincinnati, Ohio. The competition focuses on important issues of products liability law.  

This has long been an excellent competition, and this year proved no different.  The event drew an excellent group of panelists, including judges from federal circuit and district courts across the country.  And, this year, the final round of competition was judged by an en banc panel of judges at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  The entire competition was held at courthouse sites downtown.  The preliminary rounds of competition took place on Friday, April 13, 2007 at the Hamilton County Court House in downtown Cincinnati.  The finals rounds were held on Saturday, April 14, 2007 at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  In addition, the downtown Hilton hosted the competitors and judges.

Vale Corporate Law Competition

http://www.law.widener.edu/current/moot_court/delaware/vale_competition.shtml

"The Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition is named in honor of
Ruby R. Vale. Mr. Vale was a superb lawyer and was highly regarded by
judges and members of the Pennsylvania Bar. He is perhaps best
remembered for his multi-volume work titled, Vale's Pennsylvania Digest.
Upon his death, the Ruby R. Vale Foundation was formed, which provides
financial support for the Ruby R. Vale Distinguished Scholar Program.

The Corporate Competition is an interscholastic appellate moot court
competition sponsored by the Moot Court Honor Society of the Widener
University School of Law, Delaware Campus. The competition focuses on
the area of corporate law. Each round of the competition is judged by
attorneys and judges from the bench and bar of Delaware and nearby
Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each year, a distinguished scholar in the
field of corporate law joins the competition's final bench.

The problem to be argued will contain at least two corporate issues of
current legal relevance.

Each school may enter one team and may place a second team on wait list.
The second team will remain on the wait list until November 1, 2007. At
that time, if space is available, the second team will be admitted. A
team may consist of two or three members."