University of Arkansas School of Law Wins National Moot Court Competition

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University of Arkansas School of Law students Allison Waldrip, Taylor Mattson and Ashley Driver pictured with their trophies after winning the National Moot Court Championship in New York City. Photo provided by the Association of the Bar of New York City

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas School of Law won the 60^th Annual National Moot Court Competition, held Feb. 1-5 at the headquarters of the Association of the Bar of New York City. Ashley Driver, Taylor Mattson and Allison Waldrip, third-year law students, defeated the country’s top-seeded team in the final round. Waldrip was also the winner of the Best Individual Oral Argument Award.

Twenty-eight teams from 14 regions across the country competed in the national rounds of the competition. More than 500 students from 118 law schools competed in the preliminary rounds.

“Capturing the championship in the National Moot Court Competition is a most impressive accomplishment for the University of Arkansas, our excellent law school and these remarkable students,” said G. David Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas. “I am certain my fellow School of Law alumni share in my pride. This is a banner day for us.”

“The law school community is overjoyed to bring the National Moot Court championship to the University of Arkansas,” said Cynthia Nance, dean of the School of Law. “We commend Ashley, Taylor and Allison on their outstanding performance and professor Kathryn Sampson for her tireless and excellent work coaching our team to victory. Our thanks go out to all the faculty, students and alumni who supported this historic accomplishment.”

The final round was judged by a panel of distinguished members of the bar and bench, with Judge Susan P. Read of the New York State Court of Appeals presiding. The other members of the panel were Hon. Helen E. Freedman, Appellate Division, First Department; Hon. Nina Gershon, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; Hon. Victor Marrero, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; Hon. Sidney Stein, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; Joan A. Lukey, president, American College of Trial Lawyers; and Patricia M. Hynes, president, New York City Bar Association. 

This year’s National Moot Court Competition presented two issues not yet decided by the United States Supreme Court:

1. Does the imposition of a life sentence without the possibility of parole on a juvenile offender convicted in a non-homicide crime violate the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution? 
2. What standard should the court apply when deciding a motion to change venue in which the defendant argues that she cannot receive a fair trial in the current forum?

The competition was co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers, a national organization composed of approximately 5,700 of the leading advocates in the United States, and the New York City Bar’s Young Lawyers Committee.