Pepperdine Caruso Law 50th Annual Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition

The final round of the Pepperdine Caruso Law Moot Court Board's 50th Annual Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition was held on Friday, February 23. The judges presiding over the final round were Judge Jim Browning of the US District Court for the District of New Mexico, Justice Jeff Boyd of the Texas Supreme Court, and Justice April Farris of the First Court of Appeals of Houston, Texas.

The competition problem addressed crucial principles of first amendment protections, focusing on religious affiliation in private education. In the final round, Phillip Allevato and Amelia Boland argued for the petitioner; and Jonathan Gereige and Kendall Strabala argued for the respondent.

Following the preliminary rounds, the advocates were awarded Best Advocate awards. Strabala was honored as the Third-Best Oral Advocate and will be awarded $500. Boland won Second-Best Oral Advocate and will be awarded $1,000. Allevato won Best Oral Advocate and will receive a cash prize of $2,000. In addition, $1,000 was awarded to the team honored with the Best Brief of the competition, which was semifinalists Aidan Henderson and Macy Merritt.

After much deliberation from the final round bench, the winners of the 2024 Vincent S. Dalsimer Competition were determined to be Gereige and Strabala. They will each receive a $1,000 cash prize for their performances. As the finalists, Allevato and Boland will also receive $250 each for competing in the final round of the competition.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the competition's inception, dean Paul Caron moderated a fireside chat on faith and the legal career with the judges, all of whom are members of the Church of Christ.

Congratulations to all the advocates who showcased their excellent oral advocacy skills throughout the competition.