Miami Law’s moot court teams have continued their impressive success in competitions.
The Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court team of third-year students Miguel Del Rivero and Payton Skeens and second-year student Grace Castillo won Best Brief and finished as semifinalists at the 31st Annual Duberstein National Bankruptcy Competition. The Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition is widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent moot court competitions, and this year 52 teams competed.
“This was my second year competing at the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court competition and I am thankful for my amazing teammates and coaches for ensuring our success,” said Del Rivero. “It was a group effort to make it to the semifinal rounds and it was an honor to be awarded the best brief award out of the 52 teams in the competition. A lot of work was done behind the scenes as we spent countless nights and weekends revising our brief and practicing oral arguments in anticipation of competition day.”
The team was coached by Professor Patricia Redmond, J.D. ’80, director of the Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic, Freddi Mack, J.D. ’14, Nicole McLemore, J.D. ’19, and Dan Halperin, J.D. ’18.
“Including brief writing and oral argument practice, we spent more than two months preparing for this competition,” said Skeens. “Preparation included weeks of researching and editing our brief, practicing oral arguments multiple times per week, and fully committing to the team. We would not have been successful without our amazing coaches, and all of the practitioners and judges who helped us during oral argument practices.”
The Miami Law team of Mitchell Koch, 3L, and Gisell Landrian, 2L, came in third out of 30 competing teams in the 28th Annual Uvaldo Herrera National Moot Court Competition. Hosted by the Hispanic National Bar Association, the National Moot Court Competition brings together up to 32 teams of law students from the nation’s top law schools to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gisell Landrian, 2L, and Mitchell Koch, 3L
“It was really rewarding to see the hard work that Gisell and I put in had received some extra recognition,” said Koch. “We were thrilled to represent the University of Miami, which had done so much to support us and put us in a position to succeed. As a 3L who only joined the Moot Court Board this year, this was my only opportunity in a national tournament, and I’m proud that we made the most of it.”
The team was coached by Lindsay Dawson, J.D. ’21, and Curtis Osceola, J.D.’18.
“Mitchell and I met with our coaches three times a week to prepare for this competition,” said Landrian. “Our coaches, Lindsey Dawson, and Curtis Osceola, brought in guest judges to provide additional feedback. We also practiced with other moot court board members. Outside our practice rounds, I listened to oral arguments from relevant Supreme Court cases, read constitutional law supplements, and even created flashcards to prepare for all possible questions from the competition judges.”
Additionally, the team of Taylor Evans, 2L, and Carly Herskowitz, 2L, finished as semifinalists at the Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition. Beginning in 1949, the SSC is the oldest national moot court competition in the United States of its kind and welcomes competitors from across the country. Thirty teams competed this year. The competition presents hypothetical appellate cases based on a variety of contemporary constitutional issues related to the First Amendment.
Taylor Evans, 2L, and Carly Herskowitz, 2L
Miami Law’s team of Matthew Shalna, 3L, and Kelsey McCarty 2L, also did well at the 47th Annual Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition. The team finished as quarterfinalists and were the Best Preliminary Round Team of the competition. For over 40 years, as many as 50 schools from across the country have competed in this prestigious competition.
Read more about Miami Law’s moot court programs.
