When William Brandyburg started at Spring Hill College in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, he had no idea what to major in or what he wanted to become.
The small, liberal arts Jesuit college emphasized rhetoric, writing, and critical thinking, with students regularly discussing topics in class. That taught him how to take in different perspectives, think through problems, and present his best case. The bug was planted. Brandyburg realized he’d make a good lawyer.
Still, he didn’t know what kind of lawyer he wanted to be. But after starting at the University of Miami School of Law in 2021, he found his calling in a 1L torts class. He loved the ambiguity of each story, the gray areas that led to different interpretations, and, most of all, he loved the ensuing rounds of debates.
“The cases in torts spoke to me,” Brandyburg said. “That’s where you can see me forming the idea that I would like to be a litigator. I wanted to be the person making the kinds of arguments you read about in those cases. That’s what led me to moot court.”
With his goal finally set, Brandyburg tried out for the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board at the start of his 2L year. He was in the middle of an externship with U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan, J.D. ‘87. Still, Brandyburg did well enough debating the anti-commandeering clause in the qualifying competition to make the team. Within months, he was off to New York City to compete in the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, where he and his partners advanced to the octo-final round.
His confidence building, Brandyburg decided to make a run for president of the moot court board. His campaign focused on forging bonds between new and existing members, and he proposed that all future teams include a mix of 2Ls and 3Ls so that the more experienced students could guide their new teammates.
It worked. Brandyburg was elected president by the moot court board and took the reins at the start of his 3L year. At first, he felt intimidated. “The weight of the responsibility feels really big,” he said. But following the long tradition of alumni and friends of the program coming back to help, Brandyburg has received a lot of assistance from the outgoing president, Bailey Beauchamp.
“She texts me with encouragement and advice,” Brandyburg said. “I try to emulate her and her leadership style, which was knowing everyone, talking to everyone, having open channels of communication, and trying to build on the things she did.”
After years of uncertainty as a young student, Brandyburg, 23, is excited that he has a clear path. He plans to compete again in the New York Duberstein competition in the spring. After serving as a summer associate at the Akerman law firm in 2023, he expects to start there as an associate after graduating in the spring of 2024. Brandyburg is curious to see what life will be like outside his “Coral Gables bubble.” He wants to start fishing again and explore Miami’s diverse food scene more. And he will graduate knowing that he made the right decision by going to UM and joining the moot court.
“I’ve enjoyed my time at UM,” he said. “I’ve met good people, smart people, and I learned a lot.”
Read more stories from the spring 2024 Miami Law Magazine.
