FSU College of Law Moot Court Team Wins National Competition

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University College of Law Moot Court Team has won first place in the 2017 William B. Bryant-Luke C. Moore Civil Rights Moot Court Competition. The competition was held March 3-4 at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

Ten law schools participated in the competition, including Georgetown University Law Center and the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Winning team members are second-year law student Marlie Blaise, from Orlando, third-year law student Aqueelah Mitchell, from Miami, and second-year law student Dominique Mortimer, from Miami. Professor Jennifer Parker LaVia, a legal writing professor at the FSU College of Law, coached the team to victory.

“Congratulations to our talented student advocates and to their coach,” said Dean Erin O’Connor. “This victory is another testament to the excellence of our students!”

The judges for the final round were the Honorable Errol R. Arthur, deputy presiding magistrate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the Honorable Sherri Beatty-Arthur, an administrative law judge at the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Honorable Leslie Meek, an administrative law judge at the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings.

Florida State’s advocacy teams have a strong record of national competition victories. In November 2016, the College of Law’s Mock Trial Team won first place in the 2016 Buffalo-Niagara Mock Trial Competition, one of the biggest national invitationals in the country.