Team House and Weikum finished runners-up

The 2024 Internal Moot Court Champions with the North Dakota Supreme Court. L-R Lily Burnside, Justice Douglas Bahr, Justice Daniel Crothers, Chief Justice Jon Jensen, Justice Lisa Fair McEvers, Justice Jerod Tufte, and Madison Schoenberg.

Second-year law students Madison Schoenberg and Lily Burnside were named champions of the 2024 Internal Moot Court Competition on the evening of November 5. The three-day competition, a longstanding tradition at UND School of Law, provides an opportunity for second and third-year students to gain experience in both legal writing and oral advocacy as well as working with a partner. The final argument of the competition took place in the VandeWalle Courtroom at UND School of Law with second-year law students Taylor House and Katherine Weikum representing the Petitioner and Schoenberg and Burnside representing the Respondent. The School of Law was honored to have the North Dakota Supreme Court in attendance to judge the final round of the annual competition.

Madison Schoenberg argues for the Respondent in the final round of the 2024 Internal Moot Court Competition.

“From the moment I toured UND as a high school senior, I set the goal that I wanted to argue before the North Dakota Supreme Court during my time in law school,” recalls Schoenberg who also won Best Oralist in the competition. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that aspiration.”

The students began preparing a month before the competition by attending two class sessions. The first session focused on writing a brief and the second offered practice in oral advocacy. “We spent a lot of time researching case law, anticipating questions, and rehearsing responses to ensure we presented a unified and persuasive argument,” said House.  “It was a great way for me to continue working on my legal writing skills and gain confidence in oral advocacy.”

Taylor House argues for the Petitioner in the final round of the 2024 Internal Moot Court Competition.

 

The problem centered around the protections of citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures from the government under the Fourth Amendment. Each student had 15 minutes to present their argument to the Justices. Adapting quickly is an essential skill throughout the competition due to the justices frequently interrupting and challenging the arguments with questions about case law and rebuttals. When preparing for the competition, Weikum commented, “We pushed each other to address the weak areas in our argument and work through difficult questions.” The Court commended both teams on their preparation, knowledge of the problem, and their composure.

Katherine Weikum argues in front of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Each team competed in two Preliminary rounds, followed by the quarterfinals, then semifinals. All the judges were practicing attorneys and the majority were UND School of Law alumni. The school of law is so fortunate to have members of the Greater Grand Forks County Bar Association volunteer as guest judges for the competition on an annual basis.

Lily Burnside argues for the Respondent during the final round of the 2024 Internal Moot Court Competition.

The culmination of the competition is the final round judged by the North Dakota Supreme Court. The justices prepare for the competition in the same way they would for a real case and are known for asking difficult questions. At the completion of the competition and prior to announcing the winners, the justices gave feedback to the finalists. They provided positive comments and constructive criticism that helped the students moving forward as well as all students watching and listening in the audience.

“The Internal Moot Court Competition was an intense but rewarding experience,” said Burnside. “The competition pushed us to find clarity under pressure and to present our positions in a way that resonated with the judges. The whole process has strengthened my confidence and teamwork skills tremendously!”

 

 

2024 Award Winners

Champions – Madison Schoenberg and Lily Burnside

Runners-Up – Taylor House and Katherine Weikum

Best Oralist – Madison Schoenberg

Best Petitioner Brief – Jacob Loing and Olivia German

L-R: Jacob Loing, Justice Bahr, Justice Crothers, Chief Justice Jensen, Justice Fair McEvers, Justice Tufte, and Olivia German.

Best Respondent Brief – Victoria Stutsky and Mitch Campbell

L-R: Victoria Stutsky, Justice Bahr, Justice Crothers, Chief Justice Jensen, Justice Fair McEvers, Justice Tufte, and Mitch Campbell

2024 Moot Court Board

L-R: Justice Douglas Bahr, Kyle Altendorf, Justice Crothers, Joseph Banash, Chief Justice Jon Jensen, Cynthia Wences, Justice Lisa Fair McEvers, Briana Erickson, Justice Jerod Tufte, and Hunter Cowdrey.