Pepperdine Caruso Law Hosts National Entertainment Law Competition 2023

Pepperdine Caruso Law hosted the 23rd Annual National Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition on November 10-11. It was the first time the competition resumed in person since 2019. Eighteen teams from across the country participated, including the Caruso Law team of Micah Rabin and Jesse Frankel.

During the competition, the advocates debated the copyright law consequences of a company using a copyrighted film trilogy to educate generative AI software. The teams analyzed both the fair use of the input of the work as well as any vicarious liability by the company for user created derivative works allegedly substantially similar to the film trilogy.

On the first day of the competition the competitors argued twice. In the morning rounds, the teams argued the side they had briefed. In the afternoon rounds, the teams argued for the opposing side. The top eight teams then advanced to the second day of the competition for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds. The Caruso Law team performed exceedingly well, however, were ineligible to advance under competition rules of fairness.

The final round bench consisted of three esteemed competition judges, including Peter Barton, District Judge for Ada County, Idaho, and entertainment law partners Jessica Bina Stebbins of Latham and Watkins, and Victor Jih of Wilson Sonsini.

The excellent, balanced competition problem was written by alumnus Anthony Glukhov (JD ‘17), which was Glukhov’s second time writing the problem as he did so while he was a Caruso Law student as well.

Caruso Law is pleased to congratulate the competition award winners:

First Place Champions

• Ashley Shafer and Kristie Lam (University of California College of the Law, San Francisco)

Second Place Finalists

• Katherine Bone, Ethan Evans, and Anne Greenberg (Texas Tech University School of Law)

Semifinalists

• Richard Bailey, Caleb Kunde, and Joshua Mendez (Texas Tech University School of Law)
• Gigi Tartaglino, Kelton Munch, and Ashley Tran (Baylor Law School)

Best Oral Advocate (Final Round)

• Anne Greenberg (Texas Tech University School of Law)

Best Oral Advocates (Preliminary Rounds)

• First Place: Maxwell Schenitzki (Chapman University Fowler School of Law)
• Second Place: Caroline Lubel (South Texas College of Law Houston)
• Third Place: Nivory Gordon (University of Mississippi School of Law)

Best Petitioner Briefs

• First Place: Katherine Bone, Ethan Evans, and Anne Greenberg (Texas Tech University School of Law)
• Second Place: Richard Bailey, Caleb Kunde, and Joshua Mendez (Texas Tech University School of Law)
• Third Place: Sharon Witkin, Matt Munoz, and Hannah Nguyen (McGeorge School of Law)

Best Respondent Briefs

• First Place: Madeline Lim, Stephanie Lam, and Violet Flocks (Loyola Law School)
• Second Place: Ashley Shafer and Kristie Lam (University of California College of the Law, San Francisco)
• Third Place: Gianna Patchet, Cameron Bronson, and Ethan Fong (Brigham Young University Law School)

The competition was hosted and administered by Caruso Law's Moot Court Board under the leadership of Ava Rezaee and Neil Edat, and competition co-chairs, Tina Rahbari and Jessica Khalili, with moot court board advisor professor Stephen White. Professor Victoria Schwartz provided substantive leadership in her role as director of the Entertainment, Media and Sports Law program. The competition was co-sponsored by the Palmer Institute for Entrepreneurship and the Law, which hosted a beautiful reception for the finalists.