Yesterday at Zellerbach Hall, the U.C. Berkeley moot-court competition was presided over by none other than Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
From the Contra Costa Times:
Law students Edward Piper and Thomas Frampton spent an hour debating Busch v. Marple Newtown School District, a Pennsylvania case involving a kindergarten student whose mother was barred from reading a Bible passage at a show-and-tell day. The competitors prepared voluminous briefs on the subject and were peppered with questions from the judges within seconds of beginning their arguments.
Although Frampton was judged the winner — by “a thin, thin slice,” Sotomayor said — Sotomayor praised both participants for their performance.
KQED’s Rachel Dornhelm was at the competition and filed this report:
Here’s the full audio of Justice Sotomayor announcing the winner and praising both the participants and the law school. “I do moot courts because, every once in a while, I need an injection of hope,” she said. “And I see performances like the ones you gave today and I have so much hope. You were magnificent.”
Listen to Justice Sonia Sotomayor announce the moot court winner at Berkeley