Juggernaut Tulane BLSA Moot Court program sending three teams to nationals

Three times might be the charm for a full-Tulane Law sweep of the National Black Law Student moot court competition.

At least that’s what the Tulane Black Law Student Association Moot Court Program is aiming for this year as it sends three teams across three disciplines to the National Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition next month.

Fresh off a 2022 National Championship win in the Appellate discipline, the 2023 BLSA Appellate team again took first place in the Southwest Regional Championships and will represent Tulane in the national competition.

The team is coached by 2022’s National Champs Reagan Roy and Clarence “Trey” Roby III ( both L’23). The current team is made up of Roi Wallace, Brianna Thurman, Lex Kumar, and Sheldon “D.J.” Johnson (all L’24). Wallace and Thurman took home first place Regional honors and Best Petitioner Brief while Kumar and Johnson received the award for Best Respondent Brief. 

Meanwhile, the Mock Trial Team placed third in the Southwest Regional Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition and will also head to nationals. The team consists of Desmond Sims, Clarke Perkins, Kyra Sinclair (all L’23), and Daniel DeGrange (L’24). L.D. Jones (L’23) serves as the team's coach this year. Sims and Sinclair received third-place honors during the SWBLSA Regional Competition.

“I am incredibly proud of each of these competitors, and coaches, for their dedication to their teams,” said Sims, who is both a competitor and Chair of the BLSA Moot Court Program. “We are also thankful for Moot Court members, practitioners, and the administration's support.”

Finally, Tulane’s top-ranked Nelson Mandela International Negotiations team will also represent Tulane in Washington, D.C., for nationals. The Nelson Mandela team, which is in the Negotiations discipline, consists of Sydney Williams and Deja Wells (both L’24). Coach Kayla Williams (L’23), a former national competitor, is coaching the team this year.

Recent Tulane Law alumni Karli Wells (L'21), Michelle Domingue (L'22), and Jayde Encalade (L'21), all of whom competed during their time at Tulane, have continued to serve the program as mock trial judges, as well as helping students prepare for their respective competitions.

The BLSA Moot Court Program is now three years old, having merged with the Tulane Moot Court Program in 2020. In those three years, it has placed teams in the top rankings, including a clean sweep during last year’s National Appellate Competition winning, First Place overall, Best Brief, and Best Oralist in 2022. 

“We are building a BLSA Moot Court juggernaut here at Tulane, thanks to the amazing work and contributions of the many students and recent alums who have worked so hard to develop this program,” said Law Dean David Meyer. “Congratulations to the competitors and the coaches-- I’m eager to follow your continued success at nationals!”