Justice Kavanaugh to judge final round of inaugural Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament at Notre Dame Law School
The Notre Dame Law School will hold its final argument of the inaugural Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament on Friday, November 8 in the McCartan Courtroom. This highly anticipated final round will be judged by an esteemed panel, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Judge Elizabeth Branch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Judge Gerald Pappert ’88 J.D. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament is a school-wide appellate advocacy competition. The tournament showcases the remarkable talents of its student body, including Moot Court team members. Open to all second- and third-year law students, participants compete in two-person teams as oral advocates, brief writers, or both.
“This tournament honors Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s legacy of legal excellence, and builds on the Law School's traditions. This is an important moment in the history of Notre Dame Law School, and an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students,” said G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law.
The tournament began in September with a total of 32 student oralists. Seven briefs were submitted by individuals and student teams. The final round features the top two teams. Judges for the preliminary and elimination rounds included faculty members, local judges, and Law School alumni, enhancing the competitive atmosphere of the event.
The first-place team of oral advocates will receive a cash prize of $10,000, to be shared between the two students. The second-place team will take home $5,000, and the author(s) of the best brief will also earn $5,000.
"The Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament gives all of our students an important opportunity to hone their advocacy skills through a competition open to all of our community. We are honored to have such an outstanding panel of judges agree to judge the final round of the tournament, and we are confident that our student advocates will make Notre Dame proud," said Nicole Garnett, associate dean for external engagement, and the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law.
Justice Kavanaugh has visited Notre Dame’s campus in recent years, along other distinguished Supreme Court justices. Prior justices visiting Notre Dame’s campus have included Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Elena Kagan, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Clarence Thomas. In addition, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg visited Notre Dame while serving on the court.
The final round of arguments will be open to Law School students, faculty, and staff first. The Law School community will receive an email on Nov. 1 with details on how to sign up to attend the finals. If additional seating becomes available to undergraduates, we will communicate that early next week. All attendees will be required to show their Notre Dame identification card at the door.