Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board

The Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board is a student-run, honorary organization that focuses on recruiting and training the finest oral and written advocates in the country and is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious advocacy program at the University of Miami School of Law.

The Moot Court Board was founded in 1953. Named in 2006 for the fifty-five-year member of the Florida Bar, former member of the Florida Legislature, and true “lawyer’s lawyer,” the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board is committed to fostering and honing those qualities that its namesake represents: skill, passion, and excellence in advocacy. With the support of the University of Miami School of Law as well as local and national alumni, the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board hopes to impart those skills on its current and future members.

John T. Gaubatz Moot Court Competition

The Gaubatz competition is the main moot court contest at Miami Law used to select the top twenty-five advocates for the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board based on performance. Competitors argue their respective positions in front of three very distinguished judges. (More information below in "How to Join.")

Read All Papy Moot Court News

• Members

  Abigail Young axy284@law.miami.edu
  Andres Hidalgo axh732@miami.edu
  Bailey Beauchamp bbeauchamp@miami.edu
  Bailey Pasho-Towns blp75@law.miami.edu
  Benjamin Brooks bxb208@miami.edu
  Diego Rosette dxr937@law.miami.edu
  Erica Adams e.adams3@umiami.edu
  Evan Gilbert exg426@law.miami.edu
  Haneefah Saleem Hds53@miami.edu
  Isabella DelPino imd48@miami.edu
  Jaclyn Sanchez Jms573@miami.edu
  Jacob Niergarth Jniergarth@law.miami.edu
  Jessica Nunez Munoz jxn511@law.miami.edu
  Jessica Palma jessicapalma@law.miami.edu
  Joshua Schulster jws138@miami.edu
  Krystal McCollin k.mccollin@law.miami.edu
  Lauren O'Neil laurenoneil@law.miami.edu
  Mackenzie Payton Skeens mpskeens@law.miami.edu
  Mary Vollmar mvv23@miami.edu
  Matthew Shalna mxs2972@miami.edu
  Miguel E. Del Rivero mdelrivero@law.miami.edu
  Robert Keilson Rxk554@miami.edu
  Savannah Valentine ssv46@law.Miami.edu
  Sydney Alonso sydneyalonso@miami.edu
  Taylor Rich taylor.rich@law.miami.edu
  Ashley Knoblauch aknoblauch@law.miami.edu
  Alexis Masciarella alexis.masciarella@law.miami.edu
  Amanda Rosenberg abr74@miami.edu
  Austin Edwards austinedwards@miami.edu
  Bari Steel baristeel@law.miami.edu
  Brandon Shinder bes147@miami.edu
  Caleb Liberman cal240@law.miami.edu
  Cameron Gittler camerongittler@law.miami.edu
  Carly Herskowitz carlyherskowitz@law.miami.edu
  Destini Fernandez dmf147@miami.edu
  Ethan Arrington epa36@miami.edu
  Gabrielle Argimon gxa129@miami.edu
  Gabriella Pinzon gpinzon@law.miami.edu
  Gisell Landrian glandrian@law.miami.edu
  Grace Castillo gic29@miami.edu
  Joely Arai jla245@law.miami.edu
  Kelsey McCarty kelseymccarty@miami.edu
  Marina Rubio mxr2476@miami.edu
  Mitchell Koch mjk175@law.miami.edu
  Sarah Boger sarahboger@law.miami.edu
  Sierra Epke sierra.epke@law.miami.edu
  Taylor Evans taylorevans@law.miami.edu
  Thomas Armiger tarmiger@law.miami.edu
  William Brandyburg wbrandyburg@law.miami.edu
  Zachary Kaufman zdk10@miami.edu
  Zachary Sherman zes15@miami.edu

   

   

• Board Members

  Taylor Hill
  President
  tah39@law.miami.edu

  Tori Simkovic
  Executive Vice-President
  txs838@law.miami.edu

  Lauren Palen
  Vice-President, Inter-school
  lnp34@law.miami.edu

  Anoosheh Shaikh
  Vice-President, Gaubatz Competition
  axs724@law.miami.edu

  Sabrina Janeiro 
  Vice-President, Alumni & Public Relations
  saj67@law.miami.edu

  Jonathan Gutierrez
  Vice-President, Appellate Advocacy I
  jag652@law.miami.edu

  Jose Lopez-Varela
  Vice-President, Appellate Advocacy II
  jlopezvarela@law.miami.edu

  Ivan Smerznak
  Vice-President, CKP Competition
  ids31@law.miami.edu

What We Do

Each year, the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board sends its members across the nation to compete against top law schools in a variety of competitions. This past year, members competed in competitions against dozens of law schools across the nation.

• National Appellate Advocacy Competition

  National Appellate Advocacy Competition

  The National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) is hosted by the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division each year. The ABA hosts six regional competitions across the nation, culminating in a national completion in Chicago in which the top four teams from each region compete.

  This year, the problem centered on Title IX and judicial deference to administrative agencies. The University of Miami School of law was represented by two teams of three students—two oral advocates and one brief writer—at the Brooklyn regional competition. Each team advanced to the one of four regional finals rounds. Both teams were also recognized for their written briefs: one team earning best brief for the region and the other earning fifth best brief.

• Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition

  Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition

  The Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition is hosted by the St. John’s School of Law in conjunction with the American Bankruptcy Institute. The competition is the largest, single-site appellate moot court competition, drawing approximately sixty law school teams to New York City each year. This year, the Papy Moot Court Board sent two teams of three students—two oral advocates and one brief writer—to the competition in Brooklyn. One team advanced to the final rounds while the other advanced to the semi-finals. Also, one team’s brief was recognized with an honorable mention.

• Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition

  Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition

  The Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition is hosted by the University of Wisconsin Law School. The 2016–2017 competition problem focused on the Fourth and Fifth Amendment implications of shared living spaces and smartphone technology. University of Miami’s two-student team advanced to the octo-final round and was honored with an award for second-best Petitioner brief.

• Iriving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition

  Iriving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition

  The Irving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition takes place each year at Fordham University’s School of Law. Throughout the years, the Kaufman Competition has hosted several distinguished final-round judges, including Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Byron White, appellate judges, and commissioners of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2016, the University of Miami moot court team won the competition, besting thirty-one other teams and earning the change to argue before Justice Alito.

• John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition

  John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition

  The John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition is hosted each March by the Seton Hall University School of Law. In 2014, the University of Miami moot court team, coached by Howard Srebnick, took first in the competition. This year, the University of Miami took home third-best brief and a best oralist award.

• Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition

  Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition

  The Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition is organized and run by Emory Law Moot Court Society in the Fall semester of each year. The competition rounds are judged by practitioners from the Atlanta community with a final round decided by federal judges and state supreme court justices.

• Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition

  Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition

  The Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition is hosted by The Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar as a part of the Florida Bar Annual Convention in Boca Raton, Florida. Each year, the competition offers students the opportunity to tackle interesting and challenging issues in Florida and federal constitutional law. And because it is open only to law schools in the State of Florida, the Orseck Competition makes for an exciting bit of rivalry and comradery.

• National Moot Court Competition

  National Moot Court Competition

  The New York City Bar hosts the National Moot Court Competition (NMCC), with regional competitions each November and final rounds each February. As one of the oldest moot court competitions in the county, the NMCC attracts teams from over 120 law schools throughout the United States

• Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition

  Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition

  The Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition is held annually at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. Now in its 24th year, the competition routinely draws federal appellate and district court judges as well as First Amendment scholars to judge competitors on their brief-writing and oral advocacy skills.

• Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition

  Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition

  The Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition has been hosted by the Brooklyn Law School since 1985. The appellate moot court competition challenges students to engage in contemporary issues in evidence law.

• E. Earle Zehmer National Moot Court Competition

  E. Earle Zehmer National Moot Court Competition

  The E. Earle Zehmer National Moot Court Competition is hosted by the Workers’ Compensation Institute as a part of its annual conference. Unique among moot court competitions, the Zehmer Competition focuses exclusively on workers’ compensation law. As a result, the competition rounds are scored by practitioners, commissioners, and judges with experience in that practice area. In 2015, the University of Miami moot court team became the champions of the competition, taking first place and earning best brief.

• Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC)

  Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC)

  The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC) is hosted every year by Pace University, The Elizabeth Haub School of Law. NELMCC uses issues drawn from real cases to provide students first-hand experience in environmental litigation while also providing a rigorous academic experience. The Competition is distinctive in that three adverse teams argue the issues, reflecting the fact that environmental litigation frequently involves multiple parties — the government, a public interest group, and a member of the regulated industry. The University of Miami Moot Court team are the current champions of the competition.

• Cardozo BMI Entertainment and Media Law Moot Court Competition

  Cardozo BMI Entertainment and Media Law Moot Court Competition

  The Cardozo BMI Entertainment and Media Law Moot Court Competition is hosted by the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Moot Court Honor Society. In 1987, marked the beginning of BMI’s (Broadcast Music, Inc.) involvement and co-sponsorship of the competition. Since these early beginnings, the competition has grown to 30 teams. In addition, the competition has drawn top judges and lawyers to offer their insight to the competitors.

How to Join

Application to the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board is open to second- and third-year students of the University of Miami School of Law who have demonstrated excellence in written and oral advocacy. Each fall semester, the Board hosts the John T. Gaubatz Competition to determine the incoming class of moot court board candidates. Participation in the Gaubatz Competition is open to those University of Miami School of Law students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher for second-year (2Ls) students or 3.0 or higher for third-year students (3Ls) by the registration deadline. Membership is then extended to the top 25 second-year law students as well as to those third-year law students who rank in the top 25 competitors overall.

The Gaubatz Competition is comprised of both a written and an oral component. Competitors register in pairs, file an appellate brief, and argue in at least two oral rounds. The top sixteen, two-person teams go on to compete in a single-elimination, bracketed competition, which culminates in a final, evening round that is open to all competitors, students, professors, alumni, and the general public.

Other Ways to Get Involved

If you would like to volunteer to judge practice rounds, help prepare us for our national competitions, or otherwise support the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board, email us at MootCourtBoard@law.miami.edu. To stay up to date, be sure to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.