After a year of competition, a champion emerges
-By Anne Bergman
And then there were four.
They’d battled to get to this day, finessing their skills since last spring, when as 1Ls, they had each competed for a spot in the prestigious Hale Moot Court Honors Program, a Gould tradition since 1948.
Now the four finalists – TJ Gill, Andrea Hadjiyianni, Patrick O'Connor and Joseph Peacock—were arguing before a mock Supreme Court.
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| Dean Andrew Guzman judged the Moot Court semi-finals, his first at USC Gould. |
O’ Connor emerged the victor, with Peacock the runner-up. But all four received praise and constructive feedback from the judges, who offered insights into what they are considering when they preside over oral arguments.An elite panel presided over the proceedings and judged the competition: The Hon. Andrew Hurwitz, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; The Hon. Goodwin Liu, Supreme Court of California; and The Hon. O. Rogeriee Thompson, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The hour-long session held on March 4 in the Norris Theater at USC before peers and faculty, proved lively with the judges interjecting questions almost as soon as the finalists began their arguments.
“This was a difficult decision for us,” said Judge Hurwitz. “You all demonstrated passion and vigor as you presented your cases. However, you need to figure out what your high ground is, what your best argument is, and start there. If you don’t start with your big stuff, you may never get a chance to get to it.”
Justice Liu noted that he was impressed with the finalists’ “immense skills, which are better than the median advocate that I see in my courtroom. I know that it is no accident because you are well-prepared and passed through many rounds to get here.”
Liu encouraged the finalists to figure out how to explain their argument so it makes sense, even to non-lawyers. “Good advocates come ready to participate in a conversation, like one you would have with a group of friends,” he said. “Save the law for the brief, but when you are making your oral argument, think about how you would explain your position to a friend who’s not a lawyer.”
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| Patrick O' Connor emerged as the 2016 Hale Moot Court champion. |
Judge Thompson praised the finalists “remarkable” level of advocacy. She also encouraged them all “to break down your arguments to the most persuasive point. As judges, we are trying to look at what makes the most sense.”
As champion, O’Connor received the Edward G. Lewis prize. Lewis ’70, a member of USC Gould’s Board of Councilors, was himself Chairman of the Hale Moot Court Board when he was a law student.
The remaining three finalists were each presented with cash prizes in honor of Judge E. Avery Crary ’29, whose support helped to develop the Hale Moot Court program. Awards for written advocacy were also bestowed.
Moot Court begins in the fall with 40 participants drafting briefs and preparing for oral arguments. In the spring, the students deliver oral arguments in a courtroom setting, competing against each other before panels of judges and practicing attorneys. Eventually, via quarter-finals and preliminary rounds, the 40 are winnowed down to the final four.
Amanda Sardis ’16 joined Moot Court as a 2L. She coordinates the 2015-16 program as Vice Chair of Administration and also is a member of Gould’s competitive national team. Sardis said that the benefits of “writing an appellate brief and gaining experience in oral advocacy extend far beyond the program. Students who participate in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program come away from it with more advanced legal writing techniques, such as crafting persuasive policy arguments, and getting comfortable with public speaking,” she continued. “These are real skills that will benefit students in their careers, whether or not they ever have the chance to deliver a real argument to the Supreme Court.”
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| The elite panel of judges vigorously questioned the Moot Court finalists. Pictured: Judge Hurwitz (left) and Justice Liu. |
The Hale Moot Court Honors Program is run by students under the direction of Professor Rebecca Lonergan, the Associate Director of the Legal Writing and Advocacy Program.
Professor Robert Rasmussen, J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Chair in Law and Political Science at Gould, opened and closed the March 4 program.
Rasmussen said that listening to the final arguments and to the questions and feedback from the panel “renewed my respect in the quality of our judiciary. It also reminds me what a great school this is.”
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