Miami Law’s team of Blaze Douglas and Thomas White, both 3Ls, won the Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition held at the University of Wisconsin Law School. The team was coached by Eduardo Sanchez, JD ’90, from the United States Attorney’s Office, and came out on top over 23 teams from around the country. Miami Law beat the team from Chicago Kent in the finals.
“This competition was one of the most rewarding experiences of my law school career and we owe all of our success to the support of the Moot Court Board and our coach, Ed Sanchez, in particular,” said Douglas.
The Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition focuses on constitutional law issues. The Honorable Evan A. Evans, an 1899 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1916 to 1948, and in the role of senior judge from 1934 to 1948.
"Representing the University of Miami and the Moot Court Board in Wisconsin was definitely one of the most exciting and transformative experiences of my law school experience,” said White. “I know that the entire experience, from writing the brief, numerous practice rounds, to finally arguing in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Hearing Room will absolutely make me a better attorney."
The competition judge panels were composed of experienced trial attorneys and judges from various state and federal courts, including Chief Justice Petra Jimenez Maes of the New Mexico Supreme Court; Justice Jon P. Wilcox, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court; Justice Louis Butler, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court; Justice Rives Kistler of the Oregon Supreme Court; Judge Diane Sykes of the 7th Circuit, Judge Bernice Donald of the 6th Circuit, and Judge Kathryn Oberly, former judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals.
The final round was held in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Hearing Room in the Wisconsin State Capitol.
“The experience of arguing in the Federal 11th Circuit Courtroom in front of Judge Jordan, Magistrate Judge Torres, and expert First Amendment attorney Tom Julin, for example, was an unbelievable opportunity for us,” said Douglas. “Without Ed Sanchez's guidance, support, and efforts we never could have been as successful as we were.”
“Our success is a direct result of the incredible time and effort that our coach, Eduardo Sanchez, devoted to helping us,” said White. “He met with us on countless late nights and early weekends, introduced us to incredible judges and attorneys from all walks of the Miami legal community, and provided incredible guidance throughout the entire process.”
