Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Law recently defeated the University of Florida College of Law in the 29th Annual Hulsey-Kimbrell Moot Court Competition in Jacksonville, Fla.
On the eve of the annual Georgia-Florida football rivalry, third-year law students David S. Ballard from Fayetteville, Ga. and Erik B. Chambers from Dacula, Ga. secured a win for Georgia’s Law School and continued UGA’s dominance in the courtroom.
“I am very proud of our team,” said Kellie Casey Monk, director of advocacy for UGA’s School of Law. “This tournament takes place near the beginning of our advocacy season and always helps set the tone for the year.”
Judge Susan H. Black of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit presided over the hypothetical Supreme Court case Weatherbie v. Georgia, which concerned the constitutionality of freedom of speech being applied to students’ online communications and whether a state act providing tuition vouchers to students for private schools is prohibited by the First Amendment.
In addition to Black, four other federal judges helped to score the contest.From the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia were Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood and Judge B. Avant Edenfield, and from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida were Senior Judge William Terrell Hodges and Senior Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger.
This year’s victory improved UGA’s overall record for the tournament to 19-8-2. The win brought the coveted Husley-Kimbrell trophy back to Athens after spending a year in Gainesville, Fla., following Florida’s win in last year’s competition.
For further information on the advocacy program in UGA’s School of Law, see www.law.uga.edu/advocacy.