Out of 28 teams, the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court team of 3Ls Erica Adams and Joshua Schulster came in second place in the 28th Burton D. Wechsler National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, held in Washington, D.C. at the American University Washington School of Law. Adams was also named Best Oralist. Moot court competitions are about written and oral advocacy, and awards for best briefs or oralists are a prestigious honor.
“Winning Best Oralist at the national competition was truly an honor,” said Adams. “This was my first national competition, and I had no expectations going into it. I also had never taken a First Amendment course, so preparing for the competition meant familiarizing myself with an entirely new area of law. When they announced the four runner-up awards and then announced me as the winner, I was completely blindsided and thrilled.”
The Burton D. Wechsler National First Amendment Moot Court Competition presents opportunities to argue cutting-edge cases in front of prominent judges in the nation’s capital for 28 years. Miami Law’s team argued in the final round in front of three federal judges: The Honorable Loren L. AliKhan, The Honorable Reggie B. Walton, and The Honorable Timothy B. Dyk. The team eventually lost to Michigan State in the final round but defeated the number one team in the nation, UC Hastings, in the semi-finals.
“Advancing to the final round of the competition was a surreal experience,” said Schulster. “After spending two months writing our brief and prepping for oral arguments, it was nice to see all our hard work pay off.”
Jhanile Trudy Smith, J.D. ’16, and Amanda Preston, J.D. ’16, coached the team.
“We were blessed to have amazing coaches, and I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to compete alongside Erica,” said Schulster.
“When they announced that we were going to the finals, I was overcome with excitement,” said Adams. “In that moment, all my nerves completely disappeared because I knew that all the hard work and sacrifice Josh and I put into preparing for the competition had paid off. No matter what would happen at finals, Josh and I were ready to make the University of Miami School of Law and the Moot Court Board proud.”
The Wechsler competition focuses on First Amendment law issues. Participants were required to write and submit briefs and present oral arguments before a panel of judges.
“The best feeling of all was knowing that we had just secured more points to elevate the Miami Moot Court Board’s national ranking,” said Schulster. “At the end of the day, my favorite thing about moot court is the team mentality and friendships you make along the way.”
The Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board was ranked 17th in the nation in 2021-2022.
“Overall, I am deeply grateful for the whole experience and honored to have been selected to represent the University of Miami School of Law in Washington, D.C.,” said Adams.
Read more about the moot court programs at Miami Law
