An MC Law moot court team competed at Stetson Law's Seventeenth Annual National Pretrial Competition (NPTC) October 3-6 in Gulfport, Florida, and was named National Champions.
Claire Churchill (3L Chair), Peyton Ratcliff (3L Internal Vice Chair), Cole Linder (2L Board Member), and Todd McInnis (2L Board Member) competed against 16 law schools across the nation. The team began preparation early in August with Churchill and Ratcliff acting as attorneys and Linder and McInnis acting as witnesses. The simulated pretrial evidentiary hearing
involved issues of "Stand Your Ground" immunity and concealed carry laws in a hypothetical attempted murder case.
The team began by drafting memorandums of law for each side of the argument on the issues. "The students were tasked with writing two memorandums of law over the course of a month, and once those were completed, they immediately turned to putting together evidence and oral argument presentations over the course of three weeks," Coach Erin McManus stated.
The drafting of memorandums of law was just the beginning. "In just three weeks, [Churchill and Ratcliff] prepared two opening statements, eight evidentiary examinations, and four motion arguments," Coach Rebecca Hamilton said. "Their coachable personalities allowed us to push them beyond the basics of trial prep to prepare two equally outstanding sides of a complex case."
The team competed against sixteen different law schools across the country, facing Mercer School of Law, Baylor University School of Law, University of Illinois [Champaign-Urbana College of Law OR Chicago School of Law], Campbell University School of Law, and Chapman University, Fowler School of Law. The team won the quarterfinals by forty-one points, entering the semi-finals as the number one seed. The National Champions then faced Baylor University School of Law again in the final round, changing argument sides. "At the competition, Peyton’s impressive courtroom presence allowed him to present complex witness examinations that conveyed the facts of the case in a straightforward manner," Coach Hamilton said. "Claire’s outstanding advocacy skills persuaded every judge and earned her an oralist award. The witnesses, Cole and Todd, demonstrated an impressive understanding of the facts of the case and an ability to keep up with constantly developing examinations." The team finished with a 6-0 round record, Best Memorandum, Non-Movant Award, and Churchill received the award for Best Advocate, Third Preliminary Round. "To do all of this is a major testament to the amount of time, energy, and passion these students had going into this year’s competition," Coach McManus said, "We could not be more proud of their huge achievement!"
The National Champions were coached by MC Law alumnae and former Moot Court Board executive officers, Rebecca Hamilton (Canopy Children's Solutions), Samantha Jacquez (Mississippi Court of Appeals), and Erin McManus (Watkins and Eager). "We set high expectations, and our coaches helped us surpass them all," Claire Churchill said. "Our win was truly the highlight of my law school career, and I will be forever grateful for
this experience alongside lifelong friends."
