4/10/2025 6:30pm - 9:00pm

After weeks of close competition, Moot Court Honor Society is excited to invite you to the final round of the Spring 2025 Distinguished Jurist Moot Court Competition! Please join in congratulating this year’s finalists:

• Counsel for Petitioner – Anna Wolf & Grace Yarosewick
• Counsel for Respondent – Maria Buren & Michael Adelson

The final round will take place on Thursday, April 10th at 6:30 PM in the Vale Courtroom. Free food and Rita’s water ice will be provided for those in attendance! Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to ensure a timely start.

What is the Distinguished Jurist Competition?

The Distinguished Jurist Competition challenged participants in both written advocacy and oral argument. Each two-person team was assigned to represent either the Petitioner or Respondent for their written brief. During the Preliminary Round, teams argued both on-brief (for their assigned side) and off-brief (for the opposing side). Advancement was determined by a combination of brief scores and oral argument performance. The top eight teams moved on to the Quarterfinal Round, where the competition shifted to a head-to-head format, with only one team advancing per round based solely on oral argument.

This Year’s Case Problem

This year’s competition problem was based on TikTok Inc. v. Garland, a case argued before the Supreme Court on January 17, 2025. Competitors analyzed whether the TikTok Ban violated the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech protections. Specifically, arguments focused on:

1. The level of First Amendment scrutiny – Whether the Court should apply Strict Scrutiny in reviewing the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
2. Application of the chosen level of scrutiny – Whether the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, as applied to Petitioners, violated the First Amendment.

Come Watch the Finalists Compete!

All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend and witness some of our most talented advocates in action.

Congratulations again to Anna, Grace, Maria, and Michael! With any questions, please contact Moot Court Honor Society at [email protected].