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On November 18-19, FIU Law students Leslie Gonzalez and Kristia Hoffman won the Regional Championship Title for National Moot Court Competition national qualifiers in Atlanta, Georgia. Kristia and Leslie successfully faced off in oral argument rounds and brief writing against eleven law schools from around the eastern seaboard. The team went undefeated in their oral argument rounds, defeating including Emory, the University of South Carolina, Nova, and Stetson in the preliminary rounds and the University of Georgia in the final round. Leslie Gonzalez brought home an additional title for FIU College of Law being named the Best Oral Advocate for the Region 5 rounds. Both Leslie and Kristia will advance to the National Rounds in New York City January 30-February 2, 2023.

The National Moot Court Competition is an annual inter-law school event designed to promote the art of appellate advocacy. The competition is sponsored by the New York City Bar Association’s National Moot Court Competition Committee and the American College of Trial Lawyers and is one of the longest running and honored competitions of its kind. Every year, over 120 law schools compete in regional rounds throughout the United States, with the top two teams advancing to the final rounds in New York City.

Working with a nearly 50-page record, the team had four weeks to research and write an appellate brief on First Amendment issues regarding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and the protections of the “Reporters Shield.” The team practiced almost daily for the remaining weeks leading up to the competition. The team worked tirelessly with student and faculty coaches to perfect their oral arguments. Leslie Gonzalez said the work paid off: “If you put in the time and effort, you will succeed!”

“[FIU Professor and coach] Judge Kotey, Leslie, and I made a great team,” Kristia Hoffman adds. “Our fellow members were so invested in our success – they didn’t just encourage us and cheer us on, but brought new ideas to the table and were tough on us when they needed to be. We definitely would not have been a winning team without the rest of the moot court members!”

To learn more about FIU College of Law’s Moot Court team, visit their website or follow them on social media.