Asylum & Refugee Law Moot Court Competition

This past weekend, the UC Davis School of Law Moot Court Honors Board hosted the 13th Annual Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition. Teams from across the country, including the University of Cincinnati, Southern Illinois, Hastings, McGeorge, Golden Gate, and many other schools competed in preliminary rounds on Saturday, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals on Sunday.
The Moot Court Honors Board ripped a story from the headlines. The problem ( Abel v. U.S. Attorney General) raises the question whether a regulation that limited eligibility for asylum for persons fleeing persecution promulgated by the government was entitled to deference under administrative law principles, or ran afoul of the immigration statute. The petitioner fled persecution in her native country on account of her religious views.
I had the privilege of judging one of the quarterfinal rounds and the finals. Audrey Hemesath of the U.S. Attorneys Office (Eastern District of California) and Timothy Snowball (Pacific Legal Foundation) joined me in judging the finals.
The advocates were incredibly talented. Everyone was so good in fact that the panel could not determine one team winner. In the end, teams from McGeorge and California Western tied for first place! Arlena Parmar and Caitlin Van Voorst (California Western) argued for the Petitioner Carolina Abel. Dennis Eros and Shaelyn Stewart (McGeorge) argued for the Respondent U.S. Attorney General.
The Moot Court Honors Board ran an efficient, challenging, and lively competition. Congratulations!