2006 Moot Court Competition St. Mary's University School of Law

Sponsored by the San Antonio Chapter of the FBA Presented by the Board of Advocates, St. Mary's University School of Law
The Chapter was pleased to sponsor, as is its tradition, the Fall Moot Court competition presented at St. Mary's University School of Law by its Board of Advocates (BOA)! Preliminary rounds occur between Monday, October 16, 2006, through Thursday, October 19, 2006. Elimination rounds occur on Monday, October 23rd and culminate in a final, championship round on Wednesday, October 25th. All rounds will begin at 6 p.m. Judges should be finished with critiques and leaving the St. Mary's campus by 7:30 p.m. Judges will be provided with a choice of dinner from Jason's Deli and drinks. If you are able to serve as a judge, please contact Eric Vornsand (evornsand@stmarytx.edu) or Franklin Hopkins (ehopkins@stmarytx.edu) or call the BOA office at (210) 436-3286. Thank you for your continuing support of advocacy at St. Mary's University School of Law and mentorship of law students!

Region X Moot Court Competition

In the fall of 2004, the Region X moot court final championship rounds were held in the United States District Courthouse in San Antonio.

For more than 50 years, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, in conjunction with the American College of Trial Lawyers, has hosted the National Moot Court Championships, an extremely competitive event. All schools are sent a federal appellate case and teams are asked to write a brief and prepare oral argument for the United States Supreme Court. The winning teams in participating school's competitions advance to the regional championships held throughout the nation. Regional winners qualify to compete in the National Finals, scheduled every spring in New York City.

Nine (9) law schools participated in the Region X competition held in the John H. Wood, Jr. United States Courthouse in San Antonio on Thursday, November 18 through Saturday, November 20, 2004: Saint Mary's University, Baylor University, University of Oklahoma, South Texas College, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas, Texas Tech University, Texas Wesleyen University, and University of Houston.

The endorsement of the Chapter of the program and its pledge to support the recruitment of local attorneys and judges to serve as competition judges was a key element of the approval to hold the event in the federal district courthouse. Indeed, hosting the competition at the federal courthouse was a thrill for the competitors, up and coming law students who hope to one day practice in the court.

Current President-Elect Pam Mathy and Immediate Past President Jay Aguilar coordinated the scheduling of more than 40 volunteer judges - recruiting them, assigning them to panels, assigning panels to time slots, and distributing to them the advisory briefs and other materials prepared to assist them in judging. More than 30 of the volunteer judges were FBA Chapter members!

Current President-Elect Pam Mathy and Immediate Past President Jay Aguilar coordinated the scheduling of more than 40 volunteer judges - recruiting them, assigning them to panels, assigning panels to time slots, and distributing to them the advisory briefs and other materials prepared to assist them in judging. More than 30 of the volunteer judges were FBA Chapter members!

Ultimately, after two days of fierce competition, the teams representing the law schools at South Texas and St. Mary's advanced to the championship round, where Judge Mathy and Judge Xavier Rodriquez served as judges and South Texas took home the Region X Championship trophy. In January 2005, both teams joined the representatives of the other regions to compete for the National Championship in New York City.

St. Mary's University "Docket Call"

In September 2004, representatives of the San Antonio Chapter participated in the annual "Docket Call" held at St. Mary's University School of Law. The annual law school orientation event provided an opportunity for the Chapter to introduce the FBA to hundreds of law students on campus. Members passed out brochures, Federal Bar Association mugs, and membership applications. Members spoke to law students concerning the benefits of Student Membership in the FBA and invited law students to attend the various Chapter programs and events.

Excellence in Federal Civil Procedure

In February 2005, the Chapter formally awarded $2,000 in cash and scholarship funds to the four deserving St. Mary's law students who scored highest in each of the four first-year classes of Federal Civil Procedure. In past years, the Chapter awarded one award to the highest scoring student in Federal Civil Procedure. In 2005, the Chapter expanded the program by awarding $500.00 to the top scoring student in each of the four first-year law school sections of students. During the February2005 monthly luncheon, the award winners were recognized by the Chapter and treated to lunch along with St. Mary's University Law School Dean, Bonita Roberts, who acknowledged their achievements. As it happened, the February monthly luncheon speaker was United States District Judge Lee Rosenthal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the Chair of the national Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Advisory Committee, who spoke on proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to address e- discovery. Judge Rosenthal is nationally acclaimed as an expert on the federal rules of civil procedure. In addition to receiving the much-appreciated recognition and scholarship cash, and the free lunch, each student's name will be added to a permanent plaque the Chapter maintains at the Law School to record the names of the award recipients, a framed certificate of achievement from the FBA, and one-year free membership to the FBA. In sum, this program exemplifies the best of the Chapter's tradition of support for the local law school, recognition of the hard work of deserving students, and outreach to those students and their classmates to look to the members of the Chapter for mentorship as they prepare to begin and then begin the active practice of law.

Federal Courthouse Tour

In March 2005, as a part of the Federal Practice Course offered by the Chapter to attorneys pursuing a license to practice in the San Antonio Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas , the Chapter organized a special tour of the United States District Courthouse. The courthouse tour as well as a one-hour ethics talk provided by Judge Mathy in her courtroom (for which one hour of MCLE ethics credit was awarded) were offered, free of charge, not only to the attorneys enrolled in the Federal Practice Course but also to law students and members of the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association who wished to attend. The tour visited several courtrooms, the District Clerk's Office and were addressed by Clerk's Office personnel on case filing, Clerk's Office facilities, and procedures. Finally, the tour members visited the courtroom of Judge Pam Mathy for a presentation on ethics and professional responsibility. The courthouse tour, ethics talk, and fellowship were judged to be an outstanding success!

Spring Moot Court

Also in March 2005, the San Antonio Chapter sponsored the St. Mary's University School of Law Spring Moot Court Competition. The Chapter underwrote the prize money for the competition, awarding $250.00 to each of the two students in the winning team and an additional $200.00 to the best oral advocate. Further, the Chapter provided an additional $300.00 grant to the St. Mary's University School of Law's Board of Advocates and Order of Barristers so that each winning student would receive a plaque commemorating their achievement as well as having their names added to a plaque displayed at the School of Law and maintained by the Chapter. Chapter President Jay Aguilar presented this year's winners with theirprizes at the Board of Advocates' annual dinner. Board members Susan Kilgore and David Rivela also attended as guests of the Board of Advocates.

On March 23, 2005, at the invitation of Law School administrators, the Chapter for the first time sponsored a panel discussion on appellate practice and procedure by three experienced San Antonio appellate lawyers. The event was planned as a way to get first year law students excited about the upcoming first year moot court competition. Panelists discussed their best and worst experiences in appellate court, answered questions and offered advice to law students preparing for the upcoming competition. The panel discussed the "Best and Worst Aspects of Appellate Advocacy" and drew a crowd of more than 100 law students and faculty.

© 2005-2008 Federal Bar Association San Antonio Chapter