Co-Champions Named in Third Annual Moot Court Tournament

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thu, 13 Dec 2007

Third-year law students Derek Bush (right) and Nathanial Johnson (left) were named Co-Champions for the Liberty University School of Law 2L/3L Moot Court Tournament. The final round of the tournament was held in the law school’s Supreme Courtroom and was judged by a panel of nine judges. Third-year student Brandon Osterbind (right center) and second-year student Charis Mitchell (left center) were the other finalists in the competition. Joe Miller received the award for the best brief.

Over the course of the tournament, each student made four arguments: two representing their client, and two representing the other party. After the first four rounds, the top eight students advanced to the semi-finals and the top two speakers from each semi-final round advanced to the finals.

The Honorable R. Edwin Burnette Jr., of the Lynchburg General District Court commented on the outstanding job our finalists did in their delivery and style. “Outstanding! The finalists were articulate and responded well under a barrage of questions from the panel of judges,” he said.

Judge Charles Russell of the Virginia Supreme Court stated that the level of competition by Liberty’s law students was among the best he had seen in his 40 years as an attorney and a judge.

Mathew D. Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: “The performance of the students was outstanding. At Liberty we expect the best, and our students have always risen to the challenge.”

The final round judges included The Honorable William H. Pryor, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit; The Honorable Charles S. Russell, Supreme Court of Virginia; The Honorable B. Waugh Crigler, U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia; The Honorable C. Shea Nickell, Kentucky Court of Appeals; The Honorable D. Arthur Kelsey, Virginia Court of Appeals; The Honorable William G. Petty, Virginia Court of Appeals; The Honorable Frederick G. Rockwell, III, Circuit Court for Chesterfield County; The Honorable Charles J. Strauss, Circuit Court for Pittsylvania County; and The Honorable R. Edwin Burnette, Lynchburg General District Court.