A Belmont College of Law moot court team was recently crowned national champions of the 17th Annual Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition in Atlanta, Ga. on October 13- 15.
The team consisted of second-year law students Elizabeth Finnegan, Ben Tandy, and Kealy Welage who remained undefeated throughout the entire tournament. Belmont’s team won prelims against teams from the University of Alabama, Chicago Kent, John Marshall, Baylor, Georgia, Georgia State and ultimately bested St. Mary’s in the final round. Twenty-eight total schools from across the nation competed in the tournament.
“Moot court is a fast-paced, intellectually challenging experience,” Finnegan said. “I am thankful for my incredible team and supervisor who made the experience so enjoyable and memorable. My teammates, Ben and Kealy, are absolutely phenomenal. They are hardworking, encouraging, and challenged me to perform at a higher level.”
Last spring, Finnegan and Welage were the finalists in the Dean’s Cup, an internal first-year tournament organized by the College of Law. This year, Welage received an individual top oralist award after competing as a swing advocate in every single round of competition.
“One big takeaway from this experience is to do and embrace challenges that scare you,” Welage said. “Moot Court is by no means easy, but no big accomplishment comes from an easy task. My experience was unforgettable.”
College of Law Professor Amy Moore has served as moot court coach and the Director of Advocacy since the law school started competing in 2012. Adjunct Professor of Law Patrick Riley is a law school alum and a former moot court participant who acted as an assistant coach.
“Our faculty supervisor, Professor Amy Moore, deserves so much credit for this win,” Finnegan said. “She kept us on track, helped us finetune our arguments, and provided so much helpful feedback and guidance.”
In the feedback from judges, the team was referred to as “outstanding,” “brilliant,” and “excellent.” A panel of real judges including Justice Carla Wong McMillian of the Georgia Supreme Court, Federal Magistrate Judge Regina Cannon of the Northern District of Georgia and Judge Robert McBurney of the Superior Court of Fulton County judged the final round.
“I am very proud of this team of all second-year students to start their moot court careers with an amazing accomplishment,” Moore said. “All three of these students continue to amaze me and I’m grateful for the shadow team (non-competing) and our gracious alumni for their support.”
It has been five years since Belmont’s moot court team secured a win at this competition. The team’s collective accomplishment was magnified by winning a top brief award.
“Our teamwork was a large part of our success,” Tandy said. “Throughout the entire process of preparing for the competition, we were in sync and all on the same page. Being on the team has allowed me to strengthen my legal writing and advocacy skills in a way that I would not be able to otherwise.”
In addition to their rigorous class load, team members dedicate extensive hours toward practice, preparation, brief writing and travel. Involvement in these competitive teams helps students hone their legal writing and oral advocacy skills in a fun, collaborative environment that reflects the profession.