Ames Moot Court Competition
Encyclopedia
The Ames Moot Court Competition is the annual upper level moot court
competition at Harvard Law School
. It is designed and administered by the Board of Student Advisers and has been in existence since 1911.
justice and two judges from the United States courts of appeal. Prizes are awarded for the best brief, best oralist, and best overall team.
The competition originally was organized around the school's now-defunct law clubs. The competition occurs primarily in students' 2L year because the faculty found that, for students who did not finish at the very top of their first clear class, "it [was hard] for them to take the same interest in their work, particularly in the work within the law clubs, participation in which depends entirely upon their own volition." Thus, to encourage students to continue working hard, the Ames finalists received prizes of $200 for first place and $100 for second place. After several years of a single-elimination tournament, the format changed to a round-robin that more closely resembles the current qualifying round structure.
The final round competition is one of the most popular events at the Law School each year, especially because a justice from the U.S. Supreme Court usually presides. The Ames Final Round has occasionally been televised on C-SPAN; for instance, the 1995 finals, featuring Justice Stephen Breyer
as the presiding judge, is available online here.
Many have found the Ames competition to be a demanding but rewarding experience. Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey of the Colorado Supreme Court, an Ames semi-finalist in her time at Harvard, wrote that "what was most rewarding was the opportunity to work as a team with other students. We could debate, argue, and challenge each other as we analyzed the case and prepared the briefs. The process was much more satisfying than the routine of classroom lectures and solitary examinations. The Ames competition provided a realistic view of what practicing law could be like."
Recent winners:
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competition at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. It is designed and administered by the Board of Student Advisers and has been in existence since 1911.
Format and History
As currently structured, the official competition begins in the fall of students' 2L year with a round-robin qualifying round. Each team at this stage consists of four participants, who each argue twice in teams of two. The four teams with the highest scores advance to the semi-finals in the spring. Each team is then allowed to add two participants, for a total of six people per team; two members of each team present oral argument in this round, typically before a panel of one federal appellate judge, one district judge, and one state court judge. In the competition's final round, held in the fall of the 3L year, the two remaining teams argue a case before a panel that usually consists of one U.S. Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
justice and two judges from the United States courts of appeal. Prizes are awarded for the best brief, best oralist, and best overall team.
The competition originally was organized around the school's now-defunct law clubs. The competition occurs primarily in students' 2L year because the faculty found that, for students who did not finish at the very top of their first clear class, "it [was hard] for them to take the same interest in their work, particularly in the work within the law clubs, participation in which depends entirely upon their own volition." Thus, to encourage students to continue working hard, the Ames finalists received prizes of $200 for first place and $100 for second place. After several years of a single-elimination tournament, the format changed to a round-robin that more closely resembles the current qualifying round structure.
The final round competition is one of the most popular events at the Law School each year, especially because a justice from the U.S. Supreme Court usually presides. The Ames Final Round has occasionally been televised on C-SPAN; for instance, the 1995 finals, featuring Justice Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
as the presiding judge, is available online here.
Many have found the Ames competition to be a demanding but rewarding experience. Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey of the Colorado Supreme Court, an Ames semi-finalist in her time at Harvard, wrote that "what was most rewarding was the opportunity to work as a team with other students. We could debate, argue, and challenge each other as we analyzed the case and prepared the briefs. The process was much more satisfying than the routine of classroom lectures and solitary examinations. The Ames competition provided a realistic view of what practicing law could be like."
Winners
Previous notable winners include:- Noted Second Circuit judge Henry FriendlyHenry FriendlyHenry Jacob Friendly was a prominent judge in the United States, who sat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1959 through 1974 and in senior status until his death by suicide in 1986.- Before the bench :Judge Friendly graduated from...
(1927) - California Supreme Court Justice Mathew TobrinerMathew TobrinerMathew Oscar Tobriner was an Associate Justice on the California Supreme Court from July 1962–January 1982. An appointee of Democratic Governor Pat Brown, he had worked as a labor lawyer until 1959, when Brown appointed him to the California Court of Appeal. After three years on the Court...
(1927) - Supreme Court Justice Harry BlackmunHarry BlackmunHarold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
(1932) - Former Delaware governor Pierre S. du Pont, IVPierre S. du Pont, IVPierre Samuel "Pete" du Pont IV is an American lawyer and politician from Rockland, in New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served three terms as U.S...
(1963) - Former member of the California State LegislatureCalifornia State LegislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Sheila KuehlSheila KuehlSheila James Kuehl is an American politician, and a former child actress. She most recently served as a Democratic member of the California State Senate, representing the 23rd district in Los Angeles County and parts of southern Ventura County...
(1977) - Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
professor Cass SunsteinCass SunsteinCass R. Sunstein is an American legal scholar, particularly in the fields of constitutional law, administrative law, environmental law, and law and behavioral economics, who currently is the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration...
(1977) - Former Stanford Law SchoolStanford Law SchoolStanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
deanDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
Kathleen SullivanKathleen SullivanKathleen Marie Sullivan is a professor at the Stanford Law School and name partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a litigation-only law firm with offices in California, New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago, San Francisco, Germany, London, and Tokyo where she chairs their national appellate...
(1980) - Governor of MassachusettsGovernor of MassachusettsThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
(1981) - Former assistant to the Solicitor General Kannon ShanmugamKannon ShanmugamKannon Shanmugam is a partner at the law firm of Williams & Connolly, focusing on Supreme Court and appellate litigation. He has argued ten cases before the Supreme Court, more than any other lawyer in the firm's history except Edward Bennett Williams...
(1997).
Recent winners:
- 2010 -
- Best Overall Team - The Hon. William Wayne Justice Memorial Team (Jason Harrow, Philip Mayor, Jason Murray, Amanda K. Rice, Zachary C. Schauf, Yujing Yue)
- Best Oralist - David Denton
- Judges - John RobertsJohn RobertsJohn Glover Roberts, Jr. is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the United States. He has served since 2005, having been nominated by President George W. Bush after the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist...
, Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
; Diana Murphy, Eighth Circuit; Julia Smith-GibbonsJulia Smith GibbonsJulia Smith Gibbons is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.- Background :...
, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals - Runner-Up - The Griffin Bell Memorial Team (Dustin Cho, David Denton, Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda, Luke McCloud, Lindsay See, Benjamin Snyder)
- 2009 -
- Best Overall Team - The Charles Sumner Memorial Team (Anna Fecker, Candyce Phoenix, Colleen Roh, Hillary Schrenell, Hagan Scotten, Tobias Tobler)
- Best Oralist - Hagan Scotten
- Judges - Richard Posner, Seventh Circuit; Diane Wood, Seventh Circuit; Barrington Parker, Second Circuit
- Runner-Up - The Clarence Darrow Memorial Team (Paul Bailin, Ryan Buschell, Nicolas Cornell, Kathryn Nielson, Ray Seilie, William Sullivan)
- 2008 -
- Best Overall Team - The Honorable Iftikhar Muhammad ChaudhryIftikhar Muhammad ChaudhryIftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.He became chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court in 2005 and soon became not only a central figure in the nation's political struggles but an icon to the country's legal profession and others campaigning for the rule of law...
Team (Ishan Bhabha, Jonathan Cooper, Alexandra Davies, Christina Krause, Logan Steiner, David Zimmer) - Best Oralist - David Zimmer
- Judges - Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerStephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
(Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Marsha Berzon (9th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
), Frank Hull (11th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
)
- Best Overall Team - The Honorable Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
- 2007 http://www.hlrecord.org/2.4463/oliver-hill-team-wins-ames-justice-scalia-presides-1.577924
- Best Overall Team - Oliver HillOliver HillOliver White Hill, Sr. was a civil rights attorney from Richmond, Virginia. His work against racial discrimination helped end the doctrine of "separate but equal." He also helped win landmark legal decisions involving equality in pay for black teachers, access to school buses, voting rights, jury...
Memorial Team (Shannon Delahaye, Joseph Dvorkin, Frederick Fedynyshyn, Adam Hosmer-Henner, Yelena Konanova, David Oliwenstein) - Best Oralist - Tejinder Singh
- Judges - Antonin ScaliaAntonin ScaliaAntonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
(Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Carlos F. LuceroCarlos F. LuceroCarlos Lucero is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.- Education and Legal Career :...
(10th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
), Debra Ann LivingstonDebra Ann LivingstonDebra Ann Livingston is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.-Early life and education:...
(2d Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
)
- Best Overall Team - Oliver Hill
- 2006 http://www.hlrecord.org/2.4463/shirin-shakir-memorial-team-wins-95th-ames-moot-court-finals-1.578399?pagereq=1, http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2006/11/20/miss-america-loses-harvards-moot-court-competition/
- Best Overall Team - Shirin Shakir Memorial Team http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2006/11/16/News/Shirin.Shakir.Memorial.Team.Wins.95th.Ames.Moot.Court.Finals-2464754.shtml (Elizabeth Edmonson, Mark Jensen, Tian Tian Mayimin, Samuel Miller, S. Chartey Quarcoo, and Kevin Terrazas.
- Best Oralist - Tian Tian Mayimin
- Judges - Anthony KennedyAnthony KennedyAnthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Since the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's politically charged 5–4 decisions...
(Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Merrick Garland (DC Circuit), Diana Gribbon MotzDiana Gribbon MotzDiana Jane Gribbon Motz is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.- Early life and education :...
(4th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
)
- 2005 http://magiccookie.blogspot.com/2005/11/ames.htmlhttp://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2006/11/16/News/Shirin.Shakir.Memorial.Team.Wins.95th.Ames.Moot.Court.Finals-2464754.shtmlhttp://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510009
- Best Overall Team - William H. Rehnquist Memorial Team (Adam Harber, S. Christopher Szczerban, Ramin Tohidi, Nathan Holcomb, Brian Fletcher, and Joshua Salzman)
- Judges - David SouterDavid SouterDavid Hackett Souter is a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He served from 1990 until his retirement on June 29, 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat vacated by William J...
(Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Emilio Garza (5th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
), Ilana Diamond Rovner (7th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
)
- 2004 -
- Best Overall Team - The Archibald CoxArchibald CoxArchibald Cox, Jr., was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy. He became known as the first special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and also an authority on...
Memorial Team (Ramzi Ajami, Jonathan Benloulou, Michael Bloch, Tom Lue, Sujit Raman, Jamie Simpson) - Judges - Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader GinsburgRuth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
(Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Richard A. Paez (9th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
), Reena RaggiReena RaggiReena Raggi is federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She was formerly a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York....
(2d Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
)
- Best Overall Team - The Archibald Cox
- 2003 -
- Best Overall Team - The John RawlsJohn RawlsJohn Bordley Rawls was an American philosopher and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. He held the James Bryant Conant University Professorship at Harvard University....
Memorial Team (William Edwards, Aaron Katz, Scott Michelman, Elizabeth Oyer, Chris Pistilli, Geoffrey Wyatt) - Judges - Douglas H. GinsburgDouglas H. GinsburgDouglas Howard Ginsburg is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was appointed to this court in October 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. He served as its Chief Judge from July 16, 2001 until February 10, 2008...
(DC Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
), Fortunado Benavides (5th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
), Karen Nelson MooreKaren Nelson MooreKaren Nelson Moore is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Her chambers are located in Cleveland, Ohio.-Education and legal training:...
(6th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
)
- Best Overall Team - The John Rawls
- 2002 -
- Best Overall Team - The Gerald Gunther Memorial Team (Norina Edelman, Mark Freeman, Beth Harrison, Greg Lipper, Joshua Solomon, Louis Tompros)
- Judges - Stephen G. Breyer (Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
), Diarmuid O'Scannlain (9th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
), Ann WilliamsAnn WilliamsAnn Morgan Williams was an American television, soap opera and Broadway actress.A native of Washington, D.C., Williams' notable soap roles included stints on The Doctors as the first Dr...
(7th Cir.United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
)
- 1989
- Best Overall Team - A. Bartlett GiamattiA. Bartlett GiamattiAngelo Bartlett "Bart" Giamatti was the president of Yale University and later the seventh Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Giamatti negotiated the agreement that terminated the Pete Rose betting scandal by permitting Rose to voluntarily withdraw from the sport, avoiding further...
Memorial Team (David Blank, Mary Cliff, Michael Dorf, Michael Grossman, Matthew Kreeger, Sylvia Quast)
- Best Overall Team - A. Bartlett Giamatti