ASL Moot Court Team Advances to Quarterfinals in Prestigious Competition; Caitlin Young Wins Top Individual Oralist Award

GRUNDY, VA (MARCH 9, 2020) — Appalachian School of Law’s Moot Court team advanced to the quarterfinals in the Pace University Environmental Moot Court competition held recently in White Plains, NY. ASL third year law student Caitlin Young was recognized as a top individual oralist on the first day of the competition.

There were about 60 teams in the competition, including several top-level law schools from around the country. Instituted in 1989, The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC) is the largest interschool moot court competition of any kind under one roof, regularly attracting 200 competitors from law schools throughout the nation.

ASL’s team, comprised of Young and Josh Wysor, were coached by ASL Professor and Natural Resource Law Center Director Mark (Buzz) Belleville and third year law student Morgan Spolarich, who served as assistant coach.

“Mr. Wysor and Ms. Young worked extremely hard, handled themselves with class at all times and were wonderfully supportive teammates for each other,” Belleville said. “The ASL community is rightly proud of how the team represented our school.”

Both Young and Wysor noted the experience of being involved in the competition is not something they will forget.

“Being involved in the moot court program has been one of the highlights of my experience at ASL,” Young said. “Not only was I exposed to complex legal issues, but I was also pushed by my teammates, coaches and peers to become a better advocate. The thought of competing with high ranked schools was intimidating at first, but after we argued in the first preliminary round, I realized that we were competitive.

“Overall, it was an honor to represent ASL at such a well-known competition and I look forward to watching ASL continue to build its moot court program,” Young added.

Wysor agreed noting, “it was truly an honor to represent ASL at Pace University. As a Buchanan County native, I felt especially honored to have the opportunity to represent our hometown in New York. As a third-year student, it was definitely bittersweet, as it was our last competition before graduation, but it was a great feeling to end on a high note and advance to the quarterfinals.

“To meet and interact with so many talented students from across the country was such a wonderful experience,” Wysor continued. “The competition itself is a great way for students to gain practical experience before appellate judges. I am so thankful for my partner, our coaches and for everyone at ASL who encouraged and supported us throughout the competition season.”

###