Third-year law students Katelyn Hutchison and Nicholas Engel advanced to the semi-final round in the 39th Annual J. Braxton Craven, Jr. Moot Court Competition, held February 4th-6th in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to the team’s success, Hutchison was named Best Oralist. The team was coached by Marsha Levick of the Juvenile Law Center.

A total of twenty-four teams from various law schools participated in the competition and argued emerging issues in federal law, involving fourth amendment protection from government historical and real-time GPS data acquisition. Hutchison and Engel made it through four rounds of arguments but were ultimately eliminated by University of Georgia – the team that eventually won the competition.

“The team’s success in the Craven competition reflects a strengthened commitment to appellate advocacy, in particular by having a seasoned appellate advocacy – Marsha Levick – serve as coach,” remarked Director of Advocacy Programs Jules Epstein. “That commitment also includes moving over the next year from a student-led Moot Court Society model to making appellate advocacy and its competition teams be faculty led and directed.”