Tag: Sam Houston State University

LEAPing into Moot Court

After a multi-year hiatus, the LEAP Center has revived its Moot Court Team, and SHSU Students Olivia Discon (Team Captain) and Maggie Betancourt will be competing at the Texas A&M Law School Regional Tournament on November 16-17.

What is Moot Court, Anyway?

Moot Court replicates the appellate process. Most people are familiar with the trial courts, where (typically) a jury judges the guilt of a defendant; witnesses are called to testify, are involved in direct and cross examination; and a single judge presides over the proceedings. But in an Appellate Court, attorneys compile documents, provide a written brief, and offer oral arguments, making the case that the lower court erred (petitioner) or didn’t (respondent) in the proceedings.

This fits right in with the LEAP Center’s activities, which already many law-school related activities, including inviting the 10th Court of Appeals to campus once a year to hear cases.

Without knowing it, then, the LEAP Ambassadors have had a mini-preparation for the Moot Court experience.

Moot Court Preparation

Although we may change formats in future years, the Moot Court experience works like this:

  • May 1: AMCA Releases Case;
  • August: Students read case and take “Foundations Quiz” to participate;
  • September: Weekly practices begin;
  • October: Practices continue and students may scrimmage other teams;
  • November: Regional Tournament
  • January: National Tournament

For the students, this means reading the cases (there are 21 cases in all) thoroughly, and developing arguments, modified over weekly practices, that can be used for their “courtroom” appearance.

Moot Court Benefits

In following this regimen, students gain many benefits. They…

  • Learn how to read and understand court opinions;
  • Learn how to write appellate briefs;
  • Sharpen their critical thinking, writing, and communications;
  • Gain substantive knowledge in the field of law;
  • Gain exposure to law schools to which they may be applying.

Rules of Moot Court

After familiarizing themselves with the main case and associated cases, the competitors decide which of two issues they will be arguing before the court. This year’s case, which is based on the Michelle Carter encouraging suicide through text-messaging case, involves both the 5th Amendment (self-incrimination, tackled by Maggie) and 1st Amendment (free speech, addressed by Olivia).

The students also (more or less) split the 20-minute time limit, with each student making their case before the judges for about ten minutes.

SHSU Competing in 2016 Moot Court Competition

This can be tricky, because judges can interrupt as often as they want, and the time spent being interrupted counts against the time allotted. (See full rules below).

rules_with_bylaws_1240805Download

Although teams may compete in scrimmages that are self-arranged, their first (and probably only) appearance is at one of 15-16 regional tournaments across the United States, which host, collectively, approximately 120 Universities, many of which field multiple teams. The top 25-percent of these teams then compete in nationals in January.

SHSU Moving Forward

With help from Dean Gene Roberts, Stephanie Fors, and Victoria McClendon-Leggett, the students have gone through increasingly rigorous practices…

…culminating with a scrimmage on October 19, 2024.

This scrimmage, which took place on Zoom in three different states, involved 12 teams. Organized by Blacin Godfrey from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the students competed in three rounds, twice representing the petitioner and once representing the respondent.

Although the results have not yet been delivered to the teams, the SHSU team was able to enhance its practice in more realistic conditions, hear perspectives from more people, and commiserate with other moot court participants across the country.

Importantly, the scrimmage identified weaknesses in the team’s arguments; highlighted applications of other cases that should be considered for incorporation; and spotlighted weaknesses in delivery and presentation.

The team will continue its practice through November 16-7, when they will be one of 24 teams competing at TAMU Law School.

Getting Involved

For students who would like to be considered for SHSU’s Moot Court team next year, please contact Olivia Discon at oliviadiscon@shsu.edu or Professor Mike Yawn at mike.yawn@shsu.edu.

Conflict Resolution Month with Randall Kiser and Dr. Gene Roberts

By Saara Maknojia

The LEAP Ambassadors kicked off the Conflict Resolution Month with an exciting virtual session hosted by Student Legal and Mediation Services- and what other way to enjoy an exciting session than with pizza?! The event was led by none other than Dr. Gene Roberts, Associate Dean and Director of Student Legal Mediation Services…

…and special guest Randall Kiser…

…Principal Analyst and DecisionSet and a renowned author of six books, including Professional Judgment for Lawyers. 

Dean Roberts set the stage with a warm welcome to all attendees, introducing Kiser and giving a shoutout to the Pre-Law Society students in attendance. Kiser wasted no time diving into the core of his expertise, offering valuable advice to pre-law students who are eager to begin their legal journeys. 

Kiser’s discussion centered on his book Professional Judgment for Lawyers, in which Dean Roberts jokingly remarked could easily be titled Professional Judgment for Everyone… perhaps a title Kiser will use for the second addition of his book! The book offers insights into how our personal judgment shapes not only the legal field by society as a whole. Kiser walked us through the essential elements of decision-making in law, critiqued past and current law school structures, and shed light on how lawyers can use their experiences in the legal field to better serve their clients. 

When asked what inspired his transition from being a partner at a big law firm to becoming a researcher and author, Kiser cited the influence of modern management theories from Peter Drucker and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory. These concepts motivated his passion for exploring how lawyers and successful law firms make decisions. 

One of the most interesting parts of Kiser’s discussion was his research on decision-making within the legal field. He emphasized the importance of professional judgment and highlighted how mediation training can significantly boost the success of a lawyer. According to Kiser, mediation fosters higher social awareness and sharper decision-making skills- both of which are qualities that make a strong attorney.  

As the session wrapped up, the LEAP Ambassadors had a chance to ask Kiser a few final questions, and we all left with a deeper understanding of the critical role judgment plays within the legal field. A huge thank you to Gene Roberts for making this inspiring session possible and accessible to the pre-law students and to Randall Kiser for sharing his wisdom and advice with us! 

An Afternoon of Laughter with LEAP: “Noises Off” at the Alley Theatre

by Michelle Cardenas

This past weekend, the LEAP Ambassadors, along with friends and alumni, took our regular trip to Houston for an afternoon filled with laughter, great food, and a little culture. Our destination: The Alley Theatre to see the farcical comedy Noises Off. These Houston outings have become something of a tradition for us—a chance to bond over good food and great theatre, and this time was no exception.

Before heading to the show, we made our first stop at POST Houston, a spot we frequent for its array of restaurants that cater to every craving. From sushi to burgers and international cuisine, POST has something for everyone. After fueling up, it was time for our traditional rooftop photo with the Houston skyline in the background—a moment we capture every time we’re in the area. The LEAP Ambassadors, a few friends, and alumni joined in for the photo op, including Michelle Lyons and her daughter Katherine Burnett, SHSU alum and former SHAIP intern Ashlyn Rodriguez with her husband, as well as Jacob Wessels and Yajaira Gutierrez. With full stomachs and a great group, we were ready for the play!

For those unfamiliar, Noises Off is a comedy about…well, comedy. It’s a play within a play, following a chaotic theatre troupe as they stumble (quite literally) through a performance. Having some theatre background myself, I was eager to see how close this farce would be to the real backstage antics I’ve experienced. Spoiler alert: it was spot on—and absolutely hilarious.

The play is structured in three acts, each highlighting a different stage of a theatre production.

The first act is the troupe’s final rehearsal before opening night, where the director desperately tries to smooth out the rough edges—particularly the constant confusion over a plate of sardines, which becomes a running joke. The second act gives us a behind-the-scenes look, with the audience seeing the backstage chaos unfold as the actors’ personal issues boil over. Doors are slamming, props are misplaced, and love triangles are revealed. And then, in the final act, we witness the disastrous final performance, where everything that could go wrong does. The actors are left to improvise their way through the script, which by now is nothing more than a series of disconnected lines and missed cues.

It was a joy to see our group laughing together, especially as some of us were familiar with the antics that come with putting on a play. Stephanie, in particular, has long been a fan of Noises Off, and by the end of the show, Yajaira had declared it her new favorite too. It’s no wonder—between the witty dialogue and physical comedy, the play is a masterclass in farce.

As we walked out of the theatre, we couldn’t help but keep laughing about the final performance scene—the sardines, the dropped lines, and the general mayhem. It was a perfect ending to a perfect afternoon. In fact, I think the sardines became their own character in the play! It was a delightful reminder that sometimes, when everything goes wrong, it makes for the best kind of theatre…and memories.

We can’t wait for our next Houston adventure!

Hope Springs Eternal in Arkansas!

Saara Maknojia 

For the final stop of our Arkansas trip, we headed north to Hot Springs! We took in the stunning views from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, enjoyed a quick tour, and refreshed our knowledge of the city’s rich history.

One of the city’s most notable landmarks is the Arlington Hotel, which has burned down twice and hosted historical figures like Babe Ruth, Al Capone, and President Ronald Reagan. The city is also home to historic bathhouses, as well as a variety of restaurants and shops. 

I was especially intrigued by the artifacts on display at the Mountain Tower, particularly an old Arlington Hotel menu from the early 1900s, where a sirloin steak cost an eye-popping five dollars!  But the views of the town and the Ozarks that were most inspiring.

Though we reached the top of the tower in under a minute via elevator, Professor Yawn challenged us to put our “hiking” skills to the test by walking down the 216-foot tower. To my surprise, I was the first to make it down the long flight of stairs—a satisfying redemption after my setback at Pinnacle Mountain! 

Fordyce Bathhouse

by Olivia Discon

After we conquered the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Saara and I headed to the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum, a time capsule to an age when people believed these hot springs could cure just about anything.

Built in 1915, the Fordyce Bathhouse was once the go-to spot for people looking to treat illnesses like arthritis, skin conditions, and as you could imagine, chronic stress. We talked about how long some of these people would stay—weeks, sometimes even months—soaking in the mineral waters, hoping for a miracle cure.

The Fordyce is part of Bathhouse Row–several historic bathhouses that line Hot Springs’ main street–but it was the first to close. Just two decades after the development of penicillin, bath houses were seen as obsolete, and in 1962, the Fordyce closed. Since that time, the National Park Service has taken great steps in renovating the houses and re-opening them to the public as museums.

As we walked through the museum, we got a sense of just how elevated of an experience this must have been. With stained glass ceilings and marble accents throughout, it was clear that the treatment prescribed grandeur and luxury.

After our tour, Saara and I explored some of the rooms, and we found the gym to be the most interesting.

It was filled with old equipment and gymnastic apparatus, There was no shortage of details in what a long term stay would require.

While these baths might not have been miracle cures, they certainly forced relaxation and offered an escape from everyday life!

What I found especially interesting was that the entire area, including Bathhouse Row, is now maintained by the National Park Service and, indeed, much of the downtown area falls into the Park System. Indeed, some of our most memorable scenes were in the downtown area.

We only had a day in Hot Springs and we didn’t actually soak in any springs, but we greatly enjoyed our time, and left with a sense of rejuvenation.