Fordham Law School bested 20 other law schools from across the country to win the 19th Annual Pepperdine Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition earlier this month in California.
The 2L team featuring captain Khasim Kepler Lockhart, Megan Corrigan, and Anna Wittman emerged victorious after arguing six rounds over two days, culminating in a final round where Pepperdine Law School Dean Deanell Tacha, a former federal circuit court judge, presided. In addition to the team’s Championship award, Corrigan received Best Advocate honors for the final round, held on November 13.
The team’s victory resulted from its eagerness to engage in rigorous brief writing and daily oral practice rounds, which often included unexpected questions, noted Professor Maria L. Marcus, moderator for Fordham Law School’s interschool moot court teams and the Joseph M. McLaughlin Professor of Law Emeritus. Vincent Fuller ’18 served as student coach.
“The team members were splendid,” Marcus said. “They approached the intricate and complex issues with surgical precision, as well as skillfully fielding questions about analogous areas of the law. The depth of their preparation was evident.”
The competition’s problem centered around a trademark infringement claim under the Lanham Act and the factual situations in which nominative fair use may be asserted as an affirmative defense to a finding of likelihood of confusion. Fordham Law’s team argued on behalf of the petitioner, the fictional doll manufacturer Pattel, which had been sued by celebrity Cammy Gardashyan.
Corrigan credited her team’s success to Fordham Law’s Moot Court executive board and coaches, who put in the time and effort to produce winning results and teach students skills that lead to successful careers.
“The whole team was ecstatic,” Corrigan said of the victory. “We wouldn’t have made it to the final round without each of us putting in our best effort. We were happy to win the competition and win it for Fordham Law School.”