For the fourth consecutive year, Florida State University College of Law will welcome 14 law school teams from across the country to Tallahassee for the 2026 Claude Pepper Elder Law Moot Court Competition. Taking place Oct. 9–10, the event is the nation’s only moot court competition devoted exclusively to elder law.
Hosted by FSU Law’s Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic with support from the AARP Foundation, the competition gives law students an opportunity to strengthen their appellate advocacy skills while exploring legal issues affecting older adults.
Read the press release celebrating the 4th annual Claude Pepper Elder Law Moot Court Competition.
Schedule
The 2026 Claude Pepper Elder Law Moot Court Competition was canceled due to weather impacts from Hurricane Isaias. The AARP Foundation and FSU College of Law awarded prizes and honors based on the brief scores submitted by each team before the competition was canceled.
Congratulations to this year's winning teams:
First place: Team 12 — Florida International University
Second place: Team 8 — University of Chicago
Third place: Team 14 — University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Fourth place: Team 4 — Texas Tech University
Fifth place: Team 11 — Texas Tech University
Topic
Our topic this year will address consumer protection issues within nursing facilities.
Timeline
You can view the rules here.
Registration Deadline: Passed
Problem Release: Passed
Last Day for Problem Questions: Passed
Briefs Due: Passed
Preliminary Rounds of Competition: October 9
Final Rounds of Competition & Dinner: October 10
Watch the Final Round Recording from the 2025 Competition
AARP Foundation
This year, we're thrilled to team up with the incredible AARP Foundation! AARP Foundation, a charitable affiliate of AARP, creates and advances effective solutions to reduce poverty for and with older adults. AARP Foundation advocates for systemic change in federal and state courts nationwide to advance the legal rights and interests of people 50 and older, particularly vulnerable individuals and those living on low incomes. We are so excited to work with this wonderful organization to raise awareness about issues affecting older adults and career opportunities for future lawyers focused on social justice advocacy. Thanks to the AARP Foundation, prize money will be awarded to the top teams and participants in the competition.
Contact
Clinical Professor & Director of the Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic
Email: rnathan@law.fsu.edu
Phone: 850.644.7472
Office: Advocacy Center, Room A010G
For questions about the competition, please reach out to Professor Nathan.