Competition History

The Spring 2009 Thurman Arnold Prize finals were held on May 4, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium before the Honorable Steven M. Colloton (8th Circuit Court of Appeals), the Honorable Raymond W. Gruender (8th Circuit Court of Appeals), and the Honorable Ann C. Williams (7th Circuit Court of Appeals).  The final round case was Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (No. 08-861) (poster). Representing the Petitioners were Robert Heberle ('10) and Joseph Pace ('10) (brief).  Rory Gillis ('10) and Jill Habig ('09) represented the Respondent (brief). For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here. To watch a video of the oral argument, click here.

The Potter Stewart Prize for best overall written and oral argument went to the Petitioners, Robert Heberle and Joseph Pace, and the Thurman Arnold Prize for best oralist was awarded to Jill Habig.

The Fall 2008 Harlan Fiske Stone Prize Finals were held on December 11, 2008, at 4:30 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium before the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith (D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals), the Honorable Peter Hall (2d Circuit Court of Appeals), and the Honorable Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch (1st Circuit Court of Appeals). The final round case was Pleasant Grove City v. Summum (poster). Representing the Petitioners were Sabria McElroy ('10) and Joseph Minta ('09) (brief). Michael Murray ('09) and Lindsay Eyler ('09) represented the Respondent (brief).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here.  To watch a video of the oral argument, click here.

The Potter Stewart Prize for best overall written and oral argument was awarded to Michael Murray and Lindsay Eyler, who argued for the Respondent. Joseph Minta, who argued for the Petitioners, received the Harlan Fiske Stone Prize for best oralist.

The Spring 2008 Thurman Arnold Prize finals were held on May 5, 2008, at 4:30 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium before the Honorable Marsha Berzon (9th Circuit Court of Appeals), the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh (D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals), and the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor (2d Circuit Court of Appeals). The Petitioners were Raj Laud ('08) and Abbas Ravjani ('09) (brief), and the Respondents were Sumon Dantiki ('09) and Joshua Johnson ('09) (brief). The case was Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (poster).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here. To watch a video of the oral argument, click here.

The Potter Stewart Prize for best overall written and oral argument went to the Respondents, Sumon Dantiki and Joshua Johnson, and the Thurman Arnold Prize for best oralist was awarded to Joshua Johnson. 

The Fall 2007 Harlan Fiske Stone Prize Finals were held on Monday, December 10, 2007, at 4:30 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium. The finalists were Michael Krouse ('08) and Enrique Schaerer ('08), Petitioners (brief), versus Zac Hudson ('09) and Gabriel Rauterberg ('09), Respondents (brief). The case was Medellin v. Texas (poster).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here. 

The Potter Stewart Prize for best overall written and oral argument went to the Petitioners Michael Krouse and Enrique Schaerer, and Michael Krouse was awarded the Harlan Fiske Stone Prize for best oralist.

The Spring 2007 Thurman Arnold Prize finals were held on May 7, 2007, before Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Samuel A. Alito, Jr., and Circuit Judges Rosemary Barkett (11th Cir.) and Rosemary S. Pooler (2nd Cir.). The case was Rahmani v. United States, addressing whether the government may, consistent with the First Amendment, prosecute persons for supporting groups it has determined to be terrorist organizations without allowing them to dispute those determinations. Anna Manasco Dionne (’08) and Krishanti Vignarajah (’08) represented the Petitioner (brief); Bryan Caforio (’08) and Jon Donenberg (’08) argued for the Respondent (brief).  To watch a video of the oral argument, click here.   

The judges awarded the Potter Stewart Prize for best overall team to the Petitioners Anna Manasco Dionne and Krishanti Vignarajah.  The Thurman Arnold Prize for best oralist was shared by Anna Manasco Dionne and Krishanti Vignarajah.

The Fall 2006 Harlan Fiske Stone Prize finals were held on December 11, 2006, before a panel of Circuit Judges William A. Fletcher (9th Cir.), Diana Gribbon Motz (4th Cir.), and Jeffrey S. Sutton (6th Cir.).  The case was Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, addressing whether the EPA Administrator has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act and whether the Administrator may decline to issue emissions regulations for motor vehicles based on non-statutory policy considerations. Justin Cox (’08) and Richard Re (’08) represented the Petitioner (brief); Eric Citron (’07) and John Hughes (’08) argued for the Respondent (brief).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here. 

The judges awarded the Potter Stewart Prize for best overall team to Respondents Eric Citron and John Hughes and the Harlan Fiske Stone Prize for best oralist to Justin Cox. 

The Spring 2006 Thurman Arnold Prize finals were held May 1, 2006, before a panel of Circuit Judge Raymond C. Fisher (9th Cir.), Senior Circuit Judge Laurence H. Silberman (D.C. Cir.), and New York Court of Appeals Associate Judge George Bundy Smith (’62).  The case was Moises Sanchez-Llamas v. Oregon, addressing whether and how the Vienna Convention’s provisions for consular rights should be enforced in U.S. courts.  Arguing for the Petitioners were Murad Hussain (’07) and Julia Martinez (’07) (brief).   The Respondents were represented by Ian Bassin (’06) and Anisha Dasgupta (’06) (brief).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here. 

The judges awarded the Potter Stewart Prize for best overall team to the Petitioners Murad Hussain and Julia Martinez and the Thurman Arnold Prize for best oralist to Anisha Dasgupta. 

On December 12, 2005, the Morris Tyler Moot Court welcomed an esteemed four-judge panel of Circuit Judges Merrick Garland (D.C. Cir.) and Karen Nelson Moore (6th Cir.), Senior Circuit Judge Jon Newman (’56) (2d Cir.), and Senior District Judge Louis Pollak (’48) (E.D. Pa.).  They heard arguments in Rumsfeld v. FAIR, awarding the Potter Stewart Prize for best overall team to Petitioners Brandon Fail (’06) and Jaynie Randall (’06) (brief) and splitting the Harlan Fiske Stone Prize for best oralist between Respondents Aron Ketchel (’06) and Michael Pinkel (’07) (brief).  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here.

The Spring 2005 Thurman Arnold Prize finals were held on April 22, 2005, before a panel of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Circuit Judges Alex Kozinski (9th Cir.) and Carlos Lucero (10th Cir.).  The case was Bradshaw v. Stumpf.  Ariel Lavinbuk (’06) and Brian Netter (’06) argued for the Petitioner, and Melissa Miksch (’06) and Rob Yablon (’06) argued for the Respondent.  For a picture of the final round panelists and competitors, click here.