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The Tulane University Law School Moot Court Program is proud to introduce the June edition of our Inaugural Newsletter Series: Spotlighting Moot Court Success.
With each Newsletter edition, we will introduce to you one of our esteemed Alumni in the Alumni Spotlight section.
We will also update you on any recent Moot Court Program accomplishments and highlight our upcoming events. Additionally, this edition honors our 2019-2020 Order of the Barristers Recipients. Please help the Tulane University Law School Moot Court Program congratulate last year’s competitors and coaches. Thank you for your continued support!
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Tulane University Law School Moot Court Program Alumni Spotlight: Chris Ralston
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Tulane University Law School, J.D., 1999
The National Moot Court Competition Competitor | Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (“Pace”) Competitor
Chris Ralston is a Litigation Partner and Litigation Group coordinator in the New Orleans office of Phelps Dunbar.
He regularly appears in state and federal courts and frequently litigates intellectual property disputes and enforcement of licensing, non-competition, and distributor agreements.
A substantial segment of Chris’s practice includes appellate representation and he has had successful appeals at each of the five Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Louisiana, the Federal Circuit, and the Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
In addition to his legal practice, Chris is an active member of many professional associations and nonprofit organizations. He serves as an officer and board member of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, and the Pro Bono Project. He is the president of the Tulane Alumni Association. Chris earned his law degree in 1999 from Tulane University Law School and his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary. After law school, he served as a judicial law clerk to U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
Chris is recognized by many peer-review publications including Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Louisiana Super Lawyers, New Orleans Magazine, and The Best Lawyers in America.
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“Perhaps my fondest memories ... were of us having success as a team. We had practiced together for months, worked on and improved our briefs together, and put a lot of time and effort into improving. When we got to the competition and advanced through the rounds over well-trained teams from great law schools, it was a fantastic feeling ... While I still have these great memories, I am probably more grateful about the relationships that I still have with my Moot Court teammates. I’ve been at their weddings, know their families, and remained very close with them for more than 20 years now.”
- Chris Ralston
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If you would like to be featured in an upcoming edition of the Tulane University Law School Moot Court Program Alumni Spotlight, please email the Moot Court Executive Board at tulanelawmootcourt@gmail.com.
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Spotlighting Moot Court Success
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Alternative Dispute Resolution Discipline Success
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ABA National Negotiation Competition, Quarterfinalists
Second-year members, Brooke Alexander and Hannah Harris, competed in the ABA National Negotiation Competition in Chicago, Illinois. This ADR team, coached by Taylor Bacques, advanced to the ABA National Negotiation Competition after placing among the finalists in the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition.
“ADR really gave me a ‘family’ within the law school and my teammates have become some of my closest friends.”
- Hannah Harris
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ABA Mediation Competition, Third place
Second-year members, Hannah Holmes and Trinidad Reyes, placed third at the ABA Mediation Competition in San Antonio, Texas.
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“I joined ADR to practice my problem-solving skills. I know that in transactions, attorneys all need to work with one another to achieve the same goal, so joining ADR taught me how to advocate for my client while also understanding what the needs are of all other relevant parties.”
- Trinidad Reyes
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Appellate Discipline Success
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Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (“Pace”), Quarterfinalists
Second-year competitors, Julie Schwartzwald and Katie Ricks, and third-year competitor/ Assistant Coach, Simon Willis, along with third-year Head Coach, William Harrison, advanced to the quarterfinal round at the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition.
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“It was a privilege to work with Will, Simon, and Katie this past year. I learned so much from each of them, and they are also just the kind of people you want to be around — hard-working, kind, funny, and smart.”
- Julie Schwartzwald
“I specifically wanted to join the PACE team, because as someone who cares deeply about environmental issues, I thought it would be a great fit!”
- Katie Ricks
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Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition, Best Brief Award, Second place
Second-year competitors, Karli Wells and Mary Trimble, received second place in the Best Brief Award category from the University of California, Davis School of Law’s Thirteenth Annual Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition.
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“[My] desire to make a difference for marginalized communities and communities of color sparked an interest in the Asylum and Immigration team ... The best thing about competing has definitely been working with my teammates! It's always good to build skills, but it is better when you can do it with friends!”
- Karli Wells
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Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Competition, Fourth Overall Best Oral Advocate
Second-year competitor, Lucy Dieckhaus, was recognized as the Fourth Overall Best Oral Advocate in the Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Competition.
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Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Competition, Tenth Overall Best Oral Advocate
Second-year competitor, Trace Hancock, was recognized as the Tenth Overall Best Oral Advocate in the Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Competition.
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Black Law Students Association's ("BLSA") Success
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National Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition, Quarterfinalists
Second-year competitors, AsheLee Singleton and Tiarra Riggins, and coaches Jayde Encalade and Jennifer Siew, advanced to the quarterfinal round in the National Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition.
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Southwest Black Student Law Association (“SWBLSA”) Regional Convention and Competition
Second-year competitors, Andrea Ewalefo, Kai Johnson, Aicha Kyria Aime-Marcelin, and Christopher Williams-Lopez, competed in the Southwest Black Student Law Association (SWBLSA) Regional Convention and Competition in Dallas, Texas.
“One of my favorite moments came from Christopher Williams-Lopez and Aicha Kyria Aime-Marcelin ... Aicha and Chris developed a very subtle hand signal to remind the other person to slow down. It was neither noticeable, nor distracting, and it worked!”
- Karli Wells
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Southwest Regional Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition, Third place
Second-year competitors, Courtney Fontaine, Maya Rex, Shane Thomas, and Dominique Williams, and coach, Jayde Encalade, placed third at the Southwest Regional Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition, earning the team a spot in the National BLSA Mock Trial Competition.
“This year not only did I get to compete as a member of the Tulane team, but I also got the amazing opportunity to serve as the coach of the BLSA Mock Trial Team. My favorite part of Mock Trial is traveling with my teammates. Competitions can be tough, but they are also filled with lots of fun times with your team."
- Jayde Encalade
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John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition, First place
Third-year competitors, Jamie Davidian and Patrick Weilbaecher, as well as second-year competitor, Rosa Acheson, won the John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition. A special mention to second-year teammates, Alyssa Shahrestani and Jennifer Siew, who helped the competitors prepare prior to the competition.
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"I quickly found that I loved all aspects of Mock Trial: performing, making persuasive arguments, portraying facts of the case in a favorable (or unfavorable) light, and tackling evidence issues. I have loved competing, especially at the John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition these past two years... Competitors have to adapt and think on their feet, which is both scary and fun!"
- Jamie Davidian
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The Southern Classic Trial Advocacy Competition, First place and Second place
Second-year competitors, Sam Goodis, Chandler Block, Jayde Encalade, Jennifer Siew, and third-year Head Coach, Chelsey Whynot, won the Southern Classic Trial Advocacy Competition in Oxford, Mississippi.
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Additionally, second-year competitors, Hayden Hawkins, Alyssa Shahrestani, and Jared Shurman, as well as third-year competitor and Coach, Eli Sterbcow, placed second at this competition. These two Tulane teams advanced to the final round, and they faced one another to decide the winner.
“In middle school, I attended a Mock Trial Summer Camp and ever since then, I’ve wanted to be on a Mock Trial team. [Tulane] Law School was my first opportunity, and I’ve loved every minute.”
- Jayde Encalade
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The Southern Classic Trial Advocacy Competition, Best Overall Advocate
Second-year competitor, Sam Goodis, received the Best Overall Advocate Award, ahead of more than thirty advocates in the competition. This award is given to the competitor that exhibited the best trial skills throughout the preliminary rounds of the competition. Goodis stated that he is excited to be a Tulane Mock Trial competitor-coach for the upcoming academic year, and he looks forward, “to doing what Tulane Mock Trial does best: win.”
“Without the hours of preparation and unconditional support of my teammates and coaches, there is absolutely no way that I would have had the ability to win the Best Overall Advocate Award. Specifically, I want to thank Jennifer Siew for taking the extra time to work on our case, and put together a final product that exemplified just how hard we worked leading up to the competition.”
- Sam Goodis
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Florida Bar Vis Pre-Moot, Second place
Second-year competitors, Rachel Solino, Anthony Sabitsky, and Chelsea Ryan, third-year competitor Nicholas Mitchell, and coaches Carter Figueroa, Jamie Spellerberg, and Libby Gerstner, finished in second place at the Florida Bar Moot.
Florida Bar Vis Pre-Moot, Honorable Mention to the Best Oralist Award
Rachel Solino was recognized as one of the three best oralists in the competition.
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The Order of the Barristers 2019-2020
Recipients
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The Order of the Barristers is a national honorary organization with membership from more than one hundred Law School chapters. It serves to recognize graduating law students who have excelled in a Moot Court Program by demonstrating oral advocacy and/or brief writing skills.
This year’s recipients from Tulane University Law School include:
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