Four McConnell Scholars advance to national moot court tournament

(Nov. 23, 2010) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four McConnell Scholars from the McConnell Scholar Moot Court Team advance to the national moot court tournament.

Ben Shepard (Class of 2012, Oldham County) is ranked second best orator in Southeast Region.

Two teams representing the University of Louisville's McConnell Center have advanced to the American Collegiate Moot Court Association National Tournament. A third team may advance on a "wild card" at-large bid, to be distributed at the end of all eight regional competitions. Nationals are scheduled for Jan. 14-15, 2011, at Tulane University Law School.

Andrew Carroll and Ben Shepard were ranked third after the first day of competition at the Nov. 19-20, 2010, Southeast Regional competition at the University of Tampa. Meagan Floyd and Tyler Bosley were ranked fourth, while Melissa Moore and Ben Weyman were ranked eighth. All three teams advanced to the Elite 8 but were knocked out in the quarterfinal round.

Carroll, Shepard, Floyd and Bosley will compete at the national tournament; Moore and Weyman will find out in January if they advance on a "wild card" bid.

Shepard was also recognized for his outstanding oratory skills after the first day of competition, finishing 2nd out of 56 competitors. Carroll finished 5th overall, and Floyd, 10th. Moore was ranked 11th, missing the award ceremony by 0.086 of a point.

Eight colleges competed at the Southeast Regional Moot Court Competition. Competitors' oral arguments considered the issues of whether the U.S. government exceeded its constitutional powers under the Commerce Clause in enacting the Affordable Health Care Act and whether the Fourteenth Amendment forbids states to refuse to legally recognize the validity of marriages involving persons of the same sex.

The McConnell Scholar Moot Court team is coached by McConnell Scholar alumnus Neil Salyer (Class of 2001, Magoffin County), head of the Legal Studies Department at Brown Mackie College - Louisville.

Pictures of the 2010 McConnell Scholar Moot Court Team