Law Students Palmer and McConville Win First Year Moot Court Competition

February 28, 2005

Capital University Law School students Justin Palmer and Charles McConville won the 2004-2005 First Year Moot Court Competition. The final round was held Thursday, February 17, at the U.S. District Courthouse in the Honorable Judge Algenon Marbley’s courtroom. Jarrod Shirk, who argued in the final competition with teammate William Cash, won Best Oralist.

The competition’s problem case was written by the Moot Court Board. It involved a First Amendment question concerning nudity in a video game. The participants were asked to argue to the issues of what level of protection does the first amendment provide to video games and of scrutiny of content-based restrictions of protected speech.

The final round was judged by the Honorable Judge Algenon L. Marbley, H’00, the Honorable Judge Michael H. Watson, L’87, the Honorable Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., all sitting judges on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, as well as Capital University Law School Dean Jack A. Guttenberg.

Each of the judges commented on the exceptional oral advocacy skills of the students and how impressed they were with the students’ performance.

“I want to commend the Dean and Faculty at Capital for bringing in such outstanding students,” said Judge Marbley.

Dean Guttenberg echoed his comments. “I am impressed and proud of Capital’s students,” said Guttenberg.

The competition was run by the Capital University Law School Moot Court Board and sponsored by the law firm of Lane Alton and Horst, LLC. Nearly 40 teams competed in this year’s competition.