Moot court team prepares for regional competition
Coach Neil Salyer and adviser Dr. Thomas Mackey with the 2017-18 moot court team.
Six members of the McConnell Center’s moot court are competing this weekend in the Great Lakes Regional at Saginaw Valley State University.
Participants include Jasper Noble (’20) and Dasha Kolyaskina (’20), a pairing that made it to last year’s national tournament as first-year competitors. Other team members include Robert Gassman (’18), Macey Mayes (’18), Easton Depp (’19) and Jasmyne Post (’21).
The only program of its kind in Kentucky, the Center’s moot court team was among the top 20 in the nation in 2016 and received an honorable mention for their 2017 performance at regionals. The rankings are granted by the American Moot Court Association.
Participation on the team is a large undertaking, as students spend the semester researching, writing and practicing their oral arguments, in addition to their normal coursework and extracurricular activities. Each competition team is made up of two Scholars who handle half of the argument.
This year’s case considers issues related to the right against self-incrimination protected by the fifth amendment and the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the eighth amendment.
Since 2008, the team has been coached by Neil Salyer, a McConnell Scholar alumnus (’01). Sean Williamson (’11) and Benjamin Weyman (’13) serves as assistant coaches. UofL history and law professor Thomas Mackey, PhD, also advises the team.