To register for Wechsler 2012 click here.

2011 Competition

The 18th Annual Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition was held October 20 - 22, 2011. The 2011 problem involved a nonprofit, politically active church that was challenging (1) the constitutionality of a funeral picketing statute as a violation of the Free Speech Clause; and (2) the constitutionality of the political intervention restrictions imposed by a state-law analogue to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The fact pattern was similar to, but does not entirely duplicate, the facts of Snyder v. Phelps.  The free speech issues related to the tax exemption and corresponding restrictions on political speech revisit case law on the constitutionality of restrictions on speech made by 501(c)(3) organizations, especially in light of Citizens United v. FEC and other cases discussing political speech made by corporate speakers.

Congratulations to all of the 2011 competitors and teams!

The teams in the 2011 Final Round argued in front of a prestigious panel composed of The Honorable Dolores K. Sloviter, Circuit Judge from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, The Honorable James A. Wynn, Jr., Circuit Judge from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and The Honorable Jerome A. Holmes, Circuit Judge from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Competition Winner

Team 110

St. John’s University School of Law

                                   

Competition Runner-Up

Team 210

Barry University School of Law

Competition Semifinalists

Team 207

Southwestern Law School

Team 209

South Texas College of Law

Competition Quarterfinalists

Team 104

Seton Hall School of Law

Team 107

University of San Diego

Team 204

Howard University School of Law

Team 205

Brooklyn Law School

Best Oralist

Javier Diaz

Team 104

Seton Hall School of Law

 

Best Oralist Runners-Up

Alice Warburton

Team 111

Baylor Law School

 

Isaiah Costas-Barofsky

Team 207

Southwestern Law School

Top 15 Oralists

Best Brief

Team 209

South Texas College of Law

Best Brief Runners-Up

Team 110

St. John’s University School of Law

Team 210

Barry University School of Law

Fourth Best Brief

Team 108

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Fifth Best Brief

Team 205

Brooklyn Law School

 

All pictures from the Final Round are available here.

 

The 2011 Competition Rules and Schedule are posted below.

To review the 2011 Competition Rule and Schedule, please click the following links:

2011 Wechsler Competition Rules; and

2011 Wechsler Competition Schedule.

 

Registration Information: Judges

Any alumni, practitioners, professors, and judges interested in joining us to judge our talented competitors, please complete the Judge Recruitment Form with your contact information and desired date(s)/time(s) to judge -- we are currently looking for judges for Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. Thank you in advance for volunteering your time and knowledge!

 

For more information on judge recruitment, please contact Vice President Hunter Bridges at bridges.hunter@gmail.com.

For more information on the 2011 Competition, please contact the Competition Co-Directors: Carlos Valdivia, Sarira Sadeghi, and Jessica Letro at firstamendment.wcl@gmail.com.

 

 

The First Amendment Moot Court Competition is named for Burton D. Wechsler of American University Washington College of Law. The Washington College of Law Moot Court Honor Society is proud to honor Professor Wechsler for his commitment to both First Amendment jurisprudence and the Washington College of Law's Moot Court Program.

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