Students Earn Top Honors at Moot Court Competition

Five months of conducting independent research, drafting of briefs and brushing up on appellate protocol paid off for students Steven Jayson and Iryna Kastsiuk when they took first place at William Paterson University's Moot Court Competition in February. The competition, the first of its kind at William Paterson, included arguments regarding the Supreme Court case F.A.I.R (Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights) vs. Rumsfeld.

"It was difficult to predict what the judges were looking for," said Kastsiuk, a justice studies major. "I knew the competition would be fierce. Therefore, I had to cover all the bases in my rebuttal. I gave the competition all I've learned at MSU. I was honored to receive first prize; however, I mostly enjoyed the competition itself. It was a wonderful educational experience and hopefully it will become an annual event."

Jayson, a history major, agreed. "It was fun to be a part of the competition, especially since all our hard work was paid off in a rewarding fashion," he said. The prize for the Moot Court team with the highest score was $2,000 per student. Kean and William Paterson universities also participated in the trial.

"The competition is a tension-filled experience and I was holding my breath in anticipation of Steven and Iryna's responses during the Q&A from the judges," said Avram Segall of Legal Studies and faculty adviser to the MSU mock trial team. "When the answer comes after they’ve finessed it, I get a great feeling of relief and satisfaction that they've put to use what they've learned."

Jayson also was named top oralist of the competition, and students Tulsi A. Changela and Paul T. Cacciuttolo received top honors for best memorandum of a law brief. The event was sponsored and organized by the William Paterson University Foundation.