Lawyer

Staton Moot Court Competition Helps
Prepare Students for Practice of Law
On November 3, 2014, the final round of the Robert H. Staton Intramural
Moot Court Competition pitted the teams of Andrew Romney
and Janell Zimmer against Dylan Pittman and Michael Sullivan. The
championship round took place in the Indiana Supreme Court Courtroom,
and was decided by Judges Michael Kanne and John Tinder
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Indiana
Supreme Court Justices Steven David, ‘82 and Mark Massa, ‘89; and
former Indiana Supreme Court Justice, now IU McKinney Professor
of Practice, Frank Sullivan, Jr.
This year’s competition argued issues related to the Computer
Fraud Abuse Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. In the fictitious
scenario, a law student intern grew dissatisfied with her summer associate
position when she learned she would not receive an employment
offer at the end of the summer, and stole confidential firm materials
by emailing them to her personal email account and saving them
to a flash drive. The problem was based on a prior ABA Appellate Advocacy
national competition problem.
“It was very timely and interesting for our competitors,” said thirdyear
student Sarah Hurdle. “As always, we appreciated the opportunity
to have our final argument at the Indiana Supreme Court in the
presence of some of the region’s finest members of the judiciary!”
Pittman and Sullivan were declared champions after what Profes-
sor James Dimitri called “a close round.” Pittman also took home the
honors as best oralist in the final round. The Moot Court Board announced
the recipients of two other awards: Sam Gardner won honors
for the best oralist in the preliminary rounds, and Eric Doyle won
honors for the best brief in the competition.
The competition is named in honor and memory of alumnus and
former Indiana Court of Appeals Judge, Robert H. Staton, ‘55. Students
who score in the top 25 percent of all competitors are named to
the Order of the Barristers, and are eligible to represent IU McKinney
in national and international moot court competitions.
Many of the Staton competitors went on to represent IU McKinney
in national moot court competitions. They include:
• Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition: Tricia Hall, Josh Lowry,
Andrew Romey and coach David Singleton
• Jeffrey G. Miller Pace National Environmental Law Moot
Court Competition: RJ Proie and Alyson Ackerman
• ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition: Matt Miller,
Dylan Pittman, Janell Zimmer, and coach Melissa Reynolds
• Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition:
Sarah Hurdle, Michael Sullivan, and coach Andrew Podgorny ❖
(above) Janell Zimmerman argues before a panel of
distinguished judges in the courtroom of the Indiana
Supreme Court for the final round of the Staton
Intramural Moot Court Competition.
(left) Front row from left: Professor James Dimitri,
Dylan Pittman, Michael Sullivan, Andrew Romney,
Janell Zimmerman, and Dean Andrew Klein. In the
back row from left: Indiana Supreme Court Justice
Mark Massa, ‘89; U.S. Court of Appeals Judge
Michael Kanne; Professor Frank Sullivan; U.S. Court
of Appeals Judge John Tinder; and Indiana Supreme
Court Justice Steven David, ‘82.
IU ROBERT H. McKINNEY SCHOOL OF LAW / Summer 2015 Alumni Magazine 57