TIANNA ANDERSON (CLASS OF 2024) AND MELANIE BRAHM (CLASS OF 2024) WIN O’SAVIO MOOT COURT COMPETITION AT DICKINSON LAW
November 2022 — Tianna Anderson and Melanie Brahm, second-year law students at Penn State Dickinson Law, claimed the championship during the fifth annual O’Savio Moot Court Competition, held Friday, October 21, at the Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium.
The pair defeated fellow second-year law students Lucille Sherman and Sophia Adams in the championship round, which was judged by Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Heidi Freese (Class of 2001), Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Victor P. Stabile (Class of 1982), and United States Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
“Tonight’s focus was really on nailing the content of the argument and being able to bring in the application of the consequences of the court’s decision to the argument to present that ‘here is the law, and here is the impact this has.’ I think my team did that tonight,” said Anderson, who received the competition’s Best Oralist award by a unanimous vote.
Anderson and Brahm argued as the petitioner, while Sherman and Adams argued as the respondents. The judges praised both teams, who qualified for the finals by winning preliminary rounds, for their thorough knowledge of the case, poise under pressure, organization, and focus. They also offered suggestions for minor tweaks to wording or presentation to improve in the future.
“You should all absolutely be congratulated for making it to the finals and doing an excellent job with the case,” said Freese after the decision had been announced.
The competition is named for Triston “Chase” O’Savio (Class of 2018), who began the event during his third year at Dickinson Law.
The 20 participants attended a “Moot Court Boot Camp” before the competition began. The annual event helps competitors become comfortable with oral arguments and work with a student coach to refine their approach during practice rounds. The competition culminates in the championship round, where each student had 15 minutes to deliver their argument and answer judges’ questions. The petitioner also received a short window for a rebuttal.
“The judges’ questions were very specific on the law, and it was a challenge to keep up with them. They knew their stuff,” said Anderson.
Moot Court Executive Board Competition Chair Heather Townsend (Class of 2023), who ran the boot camp with Executive Board Treasurer Blaze Campbell (Class of 2023), explained that the court case argued by the finalists came from the New York City Bar Association. It dealt with a person who was in the United States illegally who attended a political demonstration, where he made a speech. Teams had time beforehand to discuss the material, ask questions about it, and fine-tune their arguments. “All our judges are very accomplished in the legal world, and it is a wonderful bonus that they are the ones asking our students questions during the competition,” said Townsend.
Brahm said she learned a lot from participating in moot court. “This experience is fantastic. You learn about research, you learn about briefs, and it feels more realistic than learning in a classroom. Lawyers I have spoken to stressed that a lot of law school is about learning the law, but experiences like moot court can really help you get a feel for what arguing in front of a courtroom is like,” said Brahm. Anderson welcomed the chance to apply classroom concepts in a simulated courtroom setting. “I genuinely appreciate having the opportunity to practice in a low- to no-consequence situation,” said Anderson. “This was my first foray into advocacy or appellate advocacy in particular, and without something like this, the first chance I would have gotten would likely be in practice, when the stakes are a lot higher.”
Judges for the earlier rounds of the competition included:
- Dean Danielle Conway (Dean of Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Dean Jeff Dodge (Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Dean Peter Glenn (Emeritus Dean at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Dean Mae Quinn (Associate Dean for Experiential Education at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Professor Cynthia Armijo (Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Professor Mohamed Badissy (Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Professor Andrea Martin (Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law)
- Professor Tim Nieman (Adjunct Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law and general counsel at AHF Products)
- The Honorable Michelle H. Sibert (Class of 1998; Judge at Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas)
- David Fitzsimons (Class of 1984; attorney in alternative dispute resolution)
- Claire Shook (Class of 2020; corporate counsel at Dominion National)
- The Honorable Jessica E. Brewbaker (Class of 2000; Judge at Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas)
- Michaela Zanis (Class of 2022; judicial law clerk to the Honorable Shawn D. Meyers)
- Maddy Snyder (Class of 2022; judicial law clerk to the Honorable Susan E. Schwab)
- Michael Halkias (Class of 2005; Public Defender of Cumberland County)
- Shaivya Singh (Class of 2021; attorney at Penn National Insurance)
- Danny Gray (Class of 2021; assistant public defender at Cumberland County)
- Caitlin Demiral (Class of 2021; law clerk for the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System)
- Berk Demiral (Class of 2020; appeals officer at Pennsylvania Office of Open Records)
- Ana Paulina Gomez (Class of 2010; counsel at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department)
- Sarah Hyser-Staub (Class of 2013; co-chair of the White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations Group at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC)
- The Honorable Matthew P. Smith (Class of 2002; judge at Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas)
- Phil Petrina (Class of 2021; associate attorney at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC)
