Ohio Wesleyan Moot Court Teams Excel in Regional Competitions
Four Ohio Wesleyan students have qualified to attend the national tournament of American Collegiate Moot Court Association in January in Florida. Those attending the national competition are Lidia Mowad, Jordan Bernstein, Rhiannon Herbert, and Katherine Berger. (Photo courtesy of Michael Esler)
DELAWARE, Ohio – Eighteen Ohio Wesleyan University students comprising nine teams competed recently in regional competitions for the American Collegiate Moot Court Association. Seven of the nine teams advanced to elimination rounds, and two teams qualified for the national tournament Jan. 16-17, 2015, in Miami, Florida.
Six of Ohio Wesleyan’s teams competed Nov. 14-15 in the Great Lakes Regional in Saginaw, Michigan, and three competed Nov. 21-22 in the Midwest Regional in Wooster, Ohio. The competition involves two-person teams arguing constitutional issues before a panel of judges and lawyers who portray Supreme Court justices.
Eighteen Ohio Wesleyan students comprising nine teams competed recently in regional competitions for the American Collegiate Moot Court Association. The competition involves two-person teams arguing constitutional issues before a panel of judges and lawyers who portray Supreme Court justices. (Photo courtesy of Michael Esler)
Teams competing in the Great Lakes Regional were:
Katherine Berger of Sunbury, Ohio, and Rhiannon Herbert of Mentor, Ohio. Berger and Herbert finished fifth in the region and qualified for the national competition. Each also joined the prestigious “400 Club” for earning perfect scores on one or more ballots, and Berger earned an individual orator award for her 8th place individual finish. Caroline Hamilton of University Heights, Ohio, and Katalyn Kuivila of Mentor, Ohio. Hamilton and Kuivila advanced to the “Sweet 16” round, narrowly missing a bid to the nationals. Ben Danieli of Setauket, New York, and Alex Pavlechko of Columbus, Ohio. Danieli earned an individual award for placing 18th in the regional competition. Zahki Davis of Newark, New Jersey, and Anji Herman of Fairfax, California. Josh Denison of Duvall, Washington, and Matthew McCord of New Hudson, Michigan. Liam Dennigan of Norwell, Massachusetts, and Memme Onwudiwe of Centerville, Ohio.
Teams competing in Midwest Regional were:
Jordan Bernstein of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Lidia Mowad of Poland, Ohio. Bernstein and Mowad finished fifth in the region and qualified for national competition. Mowad also joined the “400 Club” for earning perfect scores on one or more ballots. Jerry Lherisson of Randolph, Massachusetts, and William McNamara of Easton, Connecticut. Ying He of Nanjing, China, and George Rice of Baltimore, Maryland.
Ohio Wesleyan has sent a Moot Court team to the national competition in each of the past three years, but this marks the first time it will send two, said coach Michael Esler, Ph.D., professor of politics and government.
“This was OWU’s most successful year in regional competitions,” Esler said, noting that Ohio Wesleyan advanced more teams to elimination rounds on the second day of competition than ever before. All six OWU teams competing in the Great Lakes Regional advanced, with Ohio Wesleyan being the only university to achieve that distinction.
“The American Collegiate Moot Court Association is growing in the number of regionals held, schools participating, and students competing,” said Esler, who also advises Ohio Wesleyan’s Pre-Law Studies Program. “More significantly, the level of competition has increased markedly.”
But, Esler said, the OWU students proved they are up to the challenge. “Our elite teams can compete with the best in the nation” Esler said. “It is just as encouraging that so many of our teams were able to advance so far into the elimination rounds. Many of our students were competing for the first time and will be returning next year.”
During the competition, each team member must argue both sides of his or her issue. This year’s regional contest issues involved whether a regulation from the state of “Olympus” violated a woman’s right to abortion and a physician’s right to free speech.
To help the OWU students prepare, Esler said, they hosted an invitational Nov. 1, inviting teams from other colleges to compete in a series of scrimmages. “We were one of only three schools nationwide that held a scrimmage invitational,” Esler said. “It provided practice under game-like conditions and unquestionably helped in our teams’ preparation for the regional competitions.”
Learn more at Ohio Wesleyan’s Pre-Law Studies Program at https://www.owu.edu/academics/departments-programs/department-of-politics-government/pre-law-major/.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.