Hands-on learning opportunities growing at Charleston Law
Experiential learning opportunities have continued to flourish throughout the 2023-24 academic year at Charleston School of Law. The experience provided students with practical, hands-on experience in a variety of settings in the legal industry throughout the year.
During the Fall 2023 semester, the Charleston Law Moot Court team advanced to quarterfinals of the Brigadier General Wayne E. Alley Military Law Moot Court Competition in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Professor Suzanne Chapman coached Charleston Law students Corey James and Josh Emery In the competition with James being named Best Oralist.
The Moot Court team also competed in a pair of competitions last March: The Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition (March 1-2, Albany, NY) and Wechsler Moot Court Competition (March 15-16, Buffalo, NY). The Albany team was coached by Charleston Law Professor Lisa Smith-Butler.
Charleston Law students Cashan McCoy, Ashley Mitrow, Morgan Overly, Laura Graves and Hannah Kituku competed in Albany. Both Graves and Kituku team advanced to quarterfinals. The team then traveled to Buffalo in late March to compete in the Wechsler Moot Court Competition. Charleston Law students Dale Patterson, Kaila Dorish, and Vonne Lovejoy-Holifield led the team to the quarterfinals. The team was coached by Professors Melanie Regis and Frank Ulmer.
In addition, the Moot Court team traveled West to compete in three events in Spring 2024:
ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition (February 15-17, Los Angeles, CA)
Team Members: Taylor Tugya, James Otovic, and Tiffany Bartlett.
Faculty Coach – Jon Marcantel
UCLA Williams Institute Moot Court Competition (March 16-17, Los Angeles, CA)
Team Members (two teams): Diana Lewis and Zaire Reed and Zak Morse and Breanna Moore
Faculty Coach: Dylan Malagrino
Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition (April 11-13, Seattle, WA)
Team Members (two teams): AnnaTaylor Greene, Graham Horsman, and Allison Langston and Chris Dalrymple, Justin Hites, and Jacob Lingle
Faculty Coach – Jennifer North
Last fall, the Trial Advocacy Board held internal competitions and Charleston Law students Alexis Mourounas & Sydney Rose won awards while Sydney Denninger and Brett Moorman advanced to finals. Of 46 students who competed for a spot on the Trial Advocacy Board, 14 were selected with the “Best Opening Statement Award” going to Gabriel Mangold (3L) and “Best Cross-Examination” to Brett Moorman (2L).
Charleston Law was also one of 14 law schools that competed in the Mock Trial Community Competition. Gabriel Mangold earned the Best Advocate Award and the team advanced to the Quarterfinal Round in the competition.
The Charleston Law Trial Advocacy Board competed in four externals competitions during the 2023-2024 school year: Texas Young Lawyers’ Association National Trial Competition, American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Nova Southeastern Shark Beach Showdown, and the 2023 Mock Trial Community Competition. Charleston Law Legal Writing Professor Suzanne Chapman served as Faculty Advisor for the Trial Advocacy Board.
The Business Law Society at Charleston School of Law and the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law held the first Transactional Law Derby, a student-led competition. The Overall Winners for Negotiations and Draft components of the competition were Charleston Law students Mason McCormick and Madison Blanton. The “Best Negotiator” Award went to Nicole Whiting from the University of South Carolina Rice School of Law.
The winners of the drafting portion of the competition resulted in a tie between two Charleston Law teams: the team of Victoria Marks and Sam Lipton and the team of Ansley Youst, Kiana Barber and Brittney Beyere. A total of 10 teams competed in the Derby.
“The opportunities for students to practice and merge the doctrinal skills that students learn in the classroom play a primary role in the negotiation process,” said Professor of Law Jean Steadman. “I, personally, am looking forward to building the relationship between the two South Carolina law schools in creating opportunities for all our students to interact, practice their transactional legal skills and enjoy these unique and fun experiences.”
The judges for the negotiations consisted of Charleston Law Professors Jean Steadman, Jon Marcantel, Dylan Malagrino, adjunct professor and local attorney, Ben Pogue (’09) , and former TLT member, Christopher Clemens (’21). The remaining judges consisted of third year Transactional Law team members and Virginia Carroll, President of the Business Legal Society at USC.
The Charleston School of Law Center for Business and Transactional Law was formed in Fall 2023 with the purpose of providing increased business, commercial law and contract law opportunities to law students and all stakeholders in the Lowcountry.
Learn more about the experiential learning opportunities at Charleston School of Law.