Falvey is proud to announce that two of our own took first place at the 26th Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition. Joe Staph and Brody Karn are third-year law students from Roger Williams University School of Law and legal interns to Bob Falvey, General Counsel. Bob, who also teaches law at RWU, coached Joe and Brody’s team and joined them at the competition.
Held in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 28-30, a total of 25 teams from 18 law schools competed at this year’s Moot Court. Participants are scored in two categories: written briefs and oral arguments. Students begin researching and drafting these 60-page briefs months in advance, which are then graded by top admiralty lawyers and account for 40 percent of the team’s final score. The oral arguments occur during the competition and comprise the remaining 60 percent.
Joe and Brody’s team, which included brief writer and Editor-In-Chief of the RWU Law Review Stephen Lapatin, ultimately prevailed over reigning champion Louisiana State University to win the overall competition, as well as awards for best brief and best oral advocate. Recognized as one of the most important events for maritime law students, as well as for the maritime bar and bench, winning the Moot Court Competition is a prestigious honor that was well-earned by Joe and Brody. Everyone at Falvey congratulates them!
