The University of Georgia School of Law recently won the 64th Annual National Moot Court Competition, which is the oldest and most prestigious moot court competition in the country.

Third-year law students Steven L. Strasberg, Benjamin W. Thorpe and Emily K. Westberry represented UGA in the tournament, and Thorpe was named the competition’s best oralist.

The trio was undefeated in the national tier of the tournament, which was held Feb. 10-13 in New York City, N.Y., beating teams from Emory University School of Law (in the final round to become champions), Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Drake University Law School, Hofstra University School of Law and Seattle University Law School.

The case the students argued centered on a challenge to a state law that required retailers of sugar-sweetened beverages to post signs in their stores about dangers associated with sugar-sweetened beverages and a manufacturer requirement to mark bottles to prevent 10-cent deposit fraud. It involved both First Amendment and Dormant Commerce Clause issues.

Georgia Law Director of Advocacy Kellie Casey said the last time a UGA team won this tournament was in 1997 and last year we finished in second place. “This competition, being one of the oldest and most respected, is certainly one of the most important. Our victory here is definitely something to celebrate.”      

More than 190 teams from law schools across the nation competed in this year’s contest, which was sponsored by the New York City Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers.