KU Law’s moot court program ranks 25th in nation
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Law’s moot court program is 25th in the nation, according to rankings published recently by the University of Houston Law Center. The rankings are determined by a point system, awarding point values in various categories for successes in regional and national competitions throughout the year.
“This is the sixth year in a row that our moot court program has been ranked one of the top 25 programs in the nation,” said Pam Keller, moot court director and law professor. “I think everyone in the program is proud of that sustained success. Our students are committed to building their advocacy skills and to helping each other be successful. We have a long and strong moot court tradition at KU, but to be in the top 25 is special.”
This is the fourth consecutive year that KU Law has won the National Native American Law Student Association (NNALSA) Moot Court Competition. The winning team, composed of 2024 graduates Jade Kearney and Justin Shock, contributed their success to the support of KU Law alumni and KU Law’s moot court program. Three-time NNALSA winner Emily DePew, a 2023 graduate, lent her support and expertise as she traveled with the team to Montana.
“This spirit of collaboration is something we hope to continue as we aspire to return the favor in future years by assisting incoming NNALSA competitors, just as those before us have done, to uphold KU Law’s illustrious reign as the NNALSA Moot Court champions for years to come,” Shock said.
KU Law’s continued success led to its invitation to the 2024 Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship to which only the top 16 moot court programs are invited to attend. Karlie Bischoff and Hailey Reed, 2024 graduates, represented KU Law and received the award for second-best brief.
“Our program has grown a lot, especially in the last 10 years,” Keller said. “We have more faculty coaches than ever before and have increasingly relied on our KU Law alumni to coach teams and mentor our students.”
Other notable highlights from the 2023-2024 moot court season:
- Arielle Jacobs, a 2024 graduate, and Sam Crawford, a third-year student, represented KU Law at the annual Shapero Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in Detroit. The team advanced to the final round, finishing in second place. Jacobs came in second for Best Advocate.
- Third-year students Skylee James and Lauren Bretz also represented KU Law at the NNALSA Moot Court Competition. They advanced to the quarterfinals where they took home the second-best brief award.
- Karlie Bischoff and Hailey Reed, 2024 graduates, competed in the Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition in Brooklyn, New York. The pair argued all the way to the final four, where they went head-to-head with NYU.
- John Langmaid and Anthony Leeks, 2024 graduates, competed in the Stetson International Moot Court Competition and received the award for second-best brief in the regional competition.
Most KU Law students who competed in national tournaments were the top finishers in the school’s in-house moot court competition during their second year of law school. Competitions generally consist of writing an appellate brief and presenting a mock oral argument before an appellate court.
Past KU Law rankings by the University of Houston Law Center:
- 2023: No. 10
- 2022: No. 14
- 2021: No. 13
- 2020: No. 22
- 2019: No. 14
- 2018: No. 26
- 2017: No. 17
- 2016: No. 19.