TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University College of Law Moot Court Team has won the 2012 George Washington Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition. The competition was held February 10-11 at George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. This is the third time that Florida State has won the competition in its six-year history. Florida State also won first place in the Charleston School of Law National Moot Court Competition on February 4.

Winning team members are third-year law students Amanda Gibson, from Merritt Island, Florida, and Sara Huff, from Tallahassee, Florida. They were coached by Tallahassee attorney Arthur Stern, III.

"We are all very proud to be celebrating our Moot Court Team's second national victory in eight days," said Dean Don Weidner. "This victory continues the team's tradition of extraordinary success."

Florida State defeated 21 teams from 17 law schools, including Georgetown University in the final round of competition. Other schools participating included Boston College, Duke University, George Washington University, University of Notre Dame and University of Virginia.

Judges for the final round were Judge Julio M. Fuentes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Chief Judge Emily C. Hewitt of the United States Court of Federal Claims and Professor Kent Greenawalt of Columbia Law School.

Since 2010, the Moot Court Team has won first place in seven national competitions and in one international competition. With the law school's expansion into the 50,000-square-foot Advocacy Center in January, the team has five courtrooms in which to prepare for appellate competitions.