Poise Under Pressure: SVUDL Students Shine at 2023 Moot Court Finals
On Wednesday, June 28th, SVUDL students, honorable court judges, lawyers, and other SVUDL champions gathered at DLA Piper for SVUDL’s 2023 Moot Court Competition.
The Moot Court serves as a cornerstone activity of SVUDL's Professional Access & Mentoring programs, which aim to bridge the opportunity gap and enhance the diversity pipeline of future professionals by engaging students in activities that broaden their horizons, opportunities, and networks. Students engage in the meticulous preparation and vigorous advocacy of a case, presenting it before a distinguished panel of actual Federal and State court judges.
This year's case centers around the pretrial motion of Reagan Klein, a young adult residing in the fictitious town of East Flamingo, California. Klein faces a felony charge of making a criminal threat in the case of People v. Klein. The pivotal question at hand is whether the purported threat falls within the boundaries of protected speech under the first amendment or qualifies as a 'true threat' according to California Penal Code 422. Over the course of several weeks, students have dedicated themselves to intensive preparation through regular practice sessions with their coaches. Additionally, they have had the valuable opportunity to receive guidance from practicing attorneys, aiding them in refining their speeches for the final proceedings.These esteemed judges assessed the students based on the caliber and persuasiveness of their presentation, along with their ability to provide spontaneous and unscripted responses to inquiries from the bench.
The four students that were selected to participate in this activity were Chloe Truong and Ojas Gandhi from Independence High School (San Jose) and Julian Christensen and Cristel Bonilla de la Cruz from Summit Everest High School (Redwood City). Competitors stood in front of a three judge panel consisting of: Hon. Daniel A. Bress, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Hon. Mary J. Greenwood, Administrative Presiding Justice, California Sixth District Court of Appeal, and Hon. Cynthia C. Lie, Associate Justice, California Sixth District Court of Appeal.
Judge Bress was “thoroughly impressed” by the student presentation. “You made it look easy, but we all know how difficult it was, to get up in front of a lot of people and speak with such poise,” he shared. He also applauded the students’ vernacular, noting that the students, “Can't just say something, you actually have to have authority. And that was shown through the deep understanding of the case materials.” Justice Greenwood was also in agreement. She was so impressed with the fact that the students, “[all] had the language of the cases on the tip of your tongue.” She noted that, “Many lawyers couldn't do what they accomplished that day.” They often “don't have that mastery, which speaks to the students’ level of preparation.” She was in awe that the students were able to answer the sophisticated and difficult legal questions. “[They] all projected incredible confidence and it wasn't just what you said - it's also how you said it.”
Justice Lie acknowledged the particular difficulty of this setting and space. “It's one thing to be having this conversation with the bench, not you didn’t just face one judge, but three. In addition, you were doing this in front of a significant audience who were in your direct line of sight.” She emphasized the spectacular presentation on how it was handled exceptionally well and with great authority.
Unable to attend this year’s event? Please stay tuned for a full video of the proceedings!
Thank you to DLA Piper, the judges, our volunteers, staff, and most importantly, all the students who participated in this year’s event. We’re so grateful for the continued support!
