National Cultural Heritage Moot Court Championship!

I am proud to announce that UC Hastings Moot Court won the National Cultural Heritage Competition Championship this weekend!

This is the first time that UC Hastings entered the competition held in Chicago and hosted by DePaul Law School.

Team members Katherine Green '16, Nathaniel Ku '16 and Andrea Tool '16 triumphed by arguing two rounds on Friday and four rounds on Saturday to become the National Champions. They argued the final round before five current or retired judges including a current 10th Circuit judge and a 7th Circuit judge, all of whom noted that the competitors were some of the best advocates they had seen in their careers.

The competition focused on questions of artist’s rights versus a private landowner’s rights. The dispute centered on whether an injunction preventing the removal of a large sculpture violated the landowner’s first amendment rights against compelled speech or alternatively was a taking requiring compensation.

Katie, Nate and Andrea were superbly coached by alumni coach Cassie Kerkhoff '14 and student coach Maiah Parks ’16. Moot Court thanks all of the judges who helped prepare our National Champions for their victory and the team members for their hard work, preparation, and dedication. The team would like to specially acknowledge and thank Professor Ben Depoorter for his valuable insights and comments. And many thanks to our Moot Court family whose donations of time and funds make these wins possible.

by Toni Young '76, Assistant Dean of Legal Research & Writing and Moot Court

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