ASU Law students win regional moot court competition

A team of Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law students is going international. 

ASU’s Jessup Moot Court team won the Pacific Super Regional of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Portland and is advancing to the international rounds in April.

Jessup is the world's largest moot court competition, and includes participants from roughly 700 law schools in 100 countries and jurisdictions. The international competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice within the United Nations. 

Unlike mock trial, which involves arguments directed at a jury, moot court is more appellate style and allows law students to develop written and oral arguments as either the applicant or the respondent. They then make their arguments in front of a panel of judges. 

Third-year law students Shelby Respicio and Luigi Nardoni say their dedication to the team led to their regional win. It’s the eighth consecutive win for coaches Rob Gordon and Amanda Newman. 

“It’s really rigorous and time-consuming,” said Respicio. “The first half of the year is spent writing as either the applicant or respondent, which consumes the fall semester. The second half is the oral argument. We practice for nine or ten hours a week with judges in the Arizona legal community and also do our own individual research. I think it led to our success this year.”

Respicio and Nardoni are currently preparing for the international competition starting on April 8 with teammates Emelia Stephan, a third-year student, and second-year students Karina Salcedo and Christopher Giles. 

“Winning the regional competition makes this process easier,” according to Nardoni. “You can finetune and narrow your arguments. You can know your weak points and focus in on them.

While the regional competition was full of American judges and teams, the international competition will be a little different. 

“It’s a shift in terms of audience,” said Respicio. “With the world competition, they’re pulling judges from all over the world. It will be different; our opponents might not speak English as a first language.You have to make your arguments so everyone can understand. The American oral argument style is also more adversarial and international is more courteous to the court.”

Both Respicio and Nardoni said they’re looking forward to traveling to the competition in Washington, D.C. and competing internationally in-person for the first time. Last year’s was held virtually due to the pandemic. 

Nardoni said he recommends any law student check out moot court. It’s helped him develop his legal writing and oral argument skills, as well as learn to accept both positive and negative feedback. It’s also made the team members more valuable to externships and future employers.

Respicio, originally from Guam, has made her home in Arizona and will clerk at the Arizona Supreme Court this summer. After that, she’ll start a full-time job at Perkins Coie in Phoenix. For his part, Nardoni will return to his native Sacramento, California to work in the city’s District Attorney’s Office. 

“Moot court has been the single most beneficial activity in law school for me,” said Nardoni. 
 

Written by Lindsay Walker