Moot Court Competition 2023
Final Argument
Friday, March 24, 20233:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Registration
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Competition
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering*
100 Academy Wy, Irvine, CA 92617
Finalists:
Petitioner: Shannon Eagen
Respondent: Kelsey Sutton
Final Results
Best Oralist: Kelsey Sutton
Runner-Up Best Oralist: Shannon Eagen
Best Brief: Emily Lovell & Madelyn Sickle
First Runner-Up: Shannon Eagen & Maria Fotiadis
Second Runner-Up: Emily Laskoe & Kelsey Sutton
Best Combined Score: Emily Laskoe
First Runner-Up: Shannon Eagen
Second Runner-Up: Emily Lovell
Top 16 (organized alphabetically)
| Shannon Eagen | Ethan Itzhaki | Jiehui (Britney) Li | Kelsey Sutton |
| Marcela Hernandez | Ali Jamwal | Emily Lovell | Leah Veleker |
| Millie Hobaish | Emily Laskoe | Talha Muhammad | Shan Han Ruo Wen |
| Alfred Hwang | Gabriel Lazo | Alex Super | Nathan Wong |
Judges
The Honorable Susan Graber, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Sr. Judge)The Honorable Morgan Christen, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The Honorable Roopali Desai, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Summary of the Case
The case before our court centers on the dismissal of Dr. Helen Croix from her tenured employment at Aguefort University. After posting unsound medical advice on her private blog, an unaffiliated doctor used Dr. Croix’s advice in treatment, and his patient died. During the wrongful death suit that followed Dr. Croix and Aguefort University received widespread negative publicity. The University received complaints, including a strongly worded letter from several alumni condemning Dr. Croix. The Dean sent Dr. Croix one email requesting to speak as soon as possible, and when she did not reply, terminated her. Aguefort University then issued a press release stating they were parting ways with Dr. Croix and attached the alumni letter.
Questions Presented
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By issuing the press release, did Aguefort University infringe Dr. Croix’s liberty interest in her reputation under the Fourteenth Amendment?
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By firing Dr. Croix for statements made on her blog, did Aguefort University violate Dr. Croix’s free speech rights under the First Amendment?
2022-2023 Moot Court Board
The UC Irvine School of Law Moot Court Board is comprised of third-year students who successfully participated in Moot Court previously. This year’s Moot Court Board consists of the following members:
- Chair: Alyx Bogus
- Vice Chairs: Ryan Reidmueller and Samantha Barry
- Director of Bench Brief: Kait O’Rinn
- Chairs of Judicial Relations: Katie Seaman and Letita Johnson-Smith
- Chairs of Internal Relations: Catherine Page and David Manrique
Mission Statement
The mission of the UC Irvine School of Law Moot Court Board is to promote the development and refinement of students’ legal research, writing and appellate oral advocacy skills by encouraging their participation in moot court competitions. Each year, the Board organizes an intramural moot court competition that asks students to address issues relevant to our real world experiences, with the ultimate goal of preparing them for their legal careers.
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