2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeSpanish-language news program awaits vote
By Eric Meyers
Posted: 1/23/08, 12:11 AM EST Section: News
In 2005, the competition began.
Syracuse University's team became national champions in 2006.
The team made it to quarterfinals in 2007.
And now, its 2008 season is ready to begin.
On Nov. 15, tryouts determined the three Syracuse University Law School students who will compete in the fourth annual Williams Institute Moot Court Competition on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, held at the University of California, Los Angeles, in February.
Each year, the competition selects an issue that deals with sexual orientation and the law. The 2008 topic, while not officially announced, will concern a law that requires all school organizations to be recognized.
It will focus on gay-straight alliances in high school, said Charles Sprock, the team's advisor and coach. Teams prepare briefs arguing each side of the case and must compete against other teams in a head-to-head competition.
Applicants submitted briefs from prior competitions, or writing samples if they were first-year law students. They then argued their cases in front of the judges, a group of law students with prior experience on similar teams.
The three-person team includes two second-year law students, Bryan Georgiady and Roufeda Ebrahim, who worked together last year in the Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition.
"What got me interested was Bryan, who was a team member," Ebrahim said. "Now that that Thomas Tang was concluded, he encouraged me to work with him again. I wanted to get more experience in oral advocacy."
This will be Georgiady's second year on the team.
"We're excited to bring his experience to the table," Sprock said.
The third team member is Eva Burger, a first-year law student, who shows a lot of promise as a good advocate, he said.
Ebrahim appreciates the friendships she formed as a member of the Thomas Tang team, and hopes to have a similar experience here.
"The real benefit is getting a whole bunch of people together who don't know each other, but who have the same passion," she said. "Putting all of these people in the same room, with the same goal in mind, was a great experience. We all developed a strong friendship."
Syracuse University's team became national champions in 2006.
The team made it to quarterfinals in 2007.
And now, its 2008 season is ready to begin.
On Nov. 15, tryouts determined the three Syracuse University Law School students who will compete in the fourth annual Williams Institute Moot Court Competition on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, held at the University of California, Los Angeles, in February.
Each year, the competition selects an issue that deals with sexual orientation and the law. The 2008 topic, while not officially announced, will concern a law that requires all school organizations to be recognized.
It will focus on gay-straight alliances in high school, said Charles Sprock, the team's advisor and coach. Teams prepare briefs arguing each side of the case and must compete against other teams in a head-to-head competition.
Applicants submitted briefs from prior competitions, or writing samples if they were first-year law students. They then argued their cases in front of the judges, a group of law students with prior experience on similar teams.
The three-person team includes two second-year law students, Bryan Georgiady and Roufeda Ebrahim, who worked together last year in the Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition.
"What got me interested was Bryan, who was a team member," Ebrahim said. "Now that that Thomas Tang was concluded, he encouraged me to work with him again. I wanted to get more experience in oral advocacy."
This will be Georgiady's second year on the team.
"We're excited to bring his experience to the table," Sprock said.
The third team member is Eva Burger, a first-year law student, who shows a lot of promise as a good advocate, he said.
Ebrahim appreciates the friendships she formed as a member of the Thomas Tang team, and hopes to have a similar experience here.
"The real benefit is getting a whole bunch of people together who don't know each other, but who have the same passion," she said. "Putting all of these people in the same room, with the same goal in mind, was a great experience. We all developed a strong friendship."
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