National Champs! UGA School of Law Wins National Moot Court Competition

By Heidi Murphy

This past weekend, the University of Georgia School of Law captured the top trophy at the Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Competition. This invitation-only tournament had the top 16 moot court programs from law schools across the country, based on performances during the 2012-13 academic year, competing in an elite environment. 

Margaret E. “Maggy” Randels and Utrophia D. Robinson, Georgia Law third-year students, were the only undefeated team through multiple rounds of competition and brought home the national victory to UGA. Additionally, Robinson was named the competition’s second best oralist, and the pair prepared the tournament’s third best brief. 

Judging the final round of the competition were U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit Judges Jennifer W. Elrod and James E. Graves Jr.; Texas Supreme Court Justices Jeffrey S. Boyd, Jeff Brown and John P. Devine; and former Texas Supreme Court Justice and current Andrews Kurth Partner Scott A. Brister. The case the students argued focused on hydraulic fracturing and the National Environmental Policy Act.   

Georgia Law Director of Advocacy Kellie Casey said the Georgia Law team beat the South Texas College of Law, which has been considered the top moot court program in the country for several years, twice in the tournament. “With South Texas winning the tournament’s best brief award, they had the advantage in both rounds where we faced them,” Casey said. “We feel like our trophy is even bigger since we had to defeat that team twice. They have an excellent program!”  

This is the first time Georgia Law has competed in this prestigious tournament. Other schools that were selected for participation this year include Baylor University Law School, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Michigan State University College of Law, New York University School of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and University of California Hastings College of Law.