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Chicago Bar Association Moot Court Competition

This competition is sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Chicago Bar Association and takes place in the Dirksen Federal Building each November. The competition simulates an appellate argument before the Supreme Court of the United States.

The recent topics have been as follows: (1) whether an extra-jurisdictional arrest performed by a security officer violated the Fourth Amendment; (2) whether a state broadcast of the execution of a condemned prisoner live over the internet violates the First Amendment rights of the prisoner; and (3) whether the Safer Schools Anti-Terrorism Act, which banned the possession of certain items on school grounds, was constitutional.

In 2011, Florence Pittman, Robin Sowizrol, and Alexandros Stamatoglou had the second-best brief and were Octofinalists. In 2010, Amy Cullnan, Ramon Estrada, and Jason Veit were Octofinalists. In 2009, Colleen DeRosa and Phillip Murante were Quarterfinalists and won the Best Brief award; Whitney Hutchinson and Phillip Nava were Octofinalists. In 2008, Clinton M. Crosier and Omar Sweiss were Quarterfinalists, and Justin J. Garcia, Marcos E. Esparza, and Karl H. Mundt advanced to the octofinal round. In 2006, Adrienne Detanico and Francella Ochillo advanced to Quarterfinals and won Best Brief. In 2005, Kathleen Cassani, Timothy O’Shea, and Colleen Tierney placed third in the competition, won Best Brief, and Kathleen Cassani was awarded Second Best Oralist.

2018-2019 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Michael Riss, Liat Sanz & Sandi Tanoue
Coach: Shannon Buckley & Marco Rodriguez
Award: Octofinalists

Team: Sara Ghantous, Margaret Lindauer & Samama Mahmud
Coach: Matt Martin

2016-2017 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Shannon Buckley & Marco Rodriguez
Coach: Daniel Saeedi
Award: First Place

Team: Kimberly Gleeson & Ryan Morton
Coach: Professor Hugh Mundy
Award: Octofinalists

2015-2016 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Shannon Buckley & Marco Rodriguez
Coach: Professor Joanne Hodge
Award: Quarterfinalists, 3rd Best Brief

Team: Charles Green & Sean Thomas
Coach: David R. Rainey

2013-2014 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Laura K. Coffey & Bonnie Swanson
Coach: Professor Julie Spanbauer
Award: Quarterfinalists, 3rd Best Brief

Team: Joseph L. Rourke, Elizabeth C. Vicars, & Brendan R. Youngblood
Coach: Professor Joanne Hodge
Award: Quarterfinalists

2012-2013 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Matthew Martin & Marian (Molly) Nelson
Coach: Anthony M. Sciara
Award: Octofinalists, Third Best Oralist (Martin)

Team: Andrew J. Candela, Meghan R. Doades, & Larissa L. Hachinski
Coach: Professor Joanne Hodge

2011-2012 CBA Competition Teams

Team: Joseph Menges, John Schinka, & Julianne Zagrans
Coach: Professor Joanne Hodge

Team: Florence Pittman, Robin Sowizrol, & Alexandros Stamatoglou
Coach: Professor Scott Shepard