Moot Court success ‘sets the tone’ for annual competition
Charleston School of Law students Corey James and Josh Emery represented the school at the inaugural JAG Military Moot Court Competition in Washington D.C. last week.
The Charleston Law team were among the highest scoring teams through preliminary and quarterfinal rounds before being eliminated in a close split decision in the second to last single-elimination round.
In addition to the team’s success in the overall competition, James won the “Best Oralist” award. Suzanne Chapman, Legal Writing Professor and Faculty Advisor for the Moot Court and Trial Advocacy teams noted the coveted award was the only individual honor presented in the competition.
“We worked so hard preparing for the competition,” said James, a 3L and member of the Moot Court executive board. “We knew this was the only competition we would have until spring, so we felt it was important to set the tone for future competitions.”
The brief was released to the teams in August and the Charleston Law team diligently worked 15-20 hours per week for six weeks, mostly late nights and weekends, preparing the brief for submission. The team showed an unwavering work ethic, spending an additional two hours per day over a two-week period, on oral arguments while preparing and taking midterm exams.
“A lot of people probably thought I was nuts,” said James. “I would practice my oral argument at the gym, when I was walking my dog, to my boyfriend.”
The more the team prepared, the more trust and chemistry they developed.
“This was my first-ever competition,” added Josh Emery, a 2L at Charleston Law. “The team and coaches were incredible. I gained a lot of confidence in preparation for the competition.”
“We had such a strong work ethic,” said James. “Building a relationship with Josh (my teammate). We developed so much respect for each other. That was really the highlight, personally.”
“By the time we left for D.C. we could almost finish each other’s sentences,” noted Emery.
“I was honored to coach this team, and I appreciate your support of our advocacy programs and students,” said Chapman. “Throughout the competition, I received compliments on their advocacy skills, their professionalism, and their collegiality.”
Charleston School of Law professors Frank Ulmer and Kevin Eberle also served as team coaches leading up to the competition.
“What I enjoyed most about the whole experience was the journey itself,” said Emery. “Everyone shared the same goal: We wanted to go perform well. We would talk through ideas and strategy for hours. It was reassuring to have someone who had experience in competition.”
The Charleston School of Law Moot Court Board has been active since 2005. The Moot Court Board facilitates and encourages advocacy skill development through practice and competition.
CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW QUICK FACTS
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