Six Wooster students compete in Moot Court national tournament

Six students from The College of Wooster’s Moot Court team recently competed in the American Moot Court Association National Tournament. Representing Wooster at the national tournament preliminary rounds were partners Abigail Reytblat ’26 and Alaina Cline ’25, Emma Jones ’25 and Carter Stanley ’25, and Riley Clever ’25 and Anna Whiting ’26.

Students who participate in moot court gain content knowledge about the U.S. Constitution and the appellate process. They also are introduced to different approaches to constitutional interpretation and the application of its language to the analysis of novel cases. “But more than this, moot court is an incredibly effective way for students to develop invaluable skills with analogical and other informal reasoning, critical thinking, written and oral communication and composure under stress,” said John Rudisill, professor of philosophy at Wooster and head coach of the Moot Court team.

Suemin Hong ’27, Willona Asare Ayesu ’28, Marissa Forster ’27, Coco Rodriguez ’26, Samarah Destin ’27, Emma Jones ’25, Carter Stanley ’25 competed at the Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Saginaw Valley State University.

Moot Court coach and faculty advisory John Rudisill congratulates Abigail Reytblat ’26 and Alaina Cline ’25 at regionals.

Reytblat was the 6th best orator and Cline was the 16th best orator at the University of Houston Law Center-hosted national tournament preliminary round, where there were 64 competitors. There the partners advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling one victory short from advancing to the final round of the national tournament which is scheduled for February 14-15. Reytblat and Cline had qualified for the national tournament preliminary round after they were finalists at the Wooster-hosted Midwest Regional Competition.

A classical studies major with a concentration in classical languages and a minor in chemistry, Reytblat takes even more from participating in Moot Court than the critical thinking and public speaking skills she has developed and the knowledge she has gained about American law and the Constitution. “Moot court makes me politically aware, so I am a better citizen,” she said. “The critical thinking and analytical skills I’m learning are just as important for a member of a community to exercise as they are for a STEM researcher or an office worker to display.”  Uncertain about her career path, Reytblat said, “If I end up going to law school, moot court would be the reason I went and the reason I would hopefully do well.”

Emma Jones ’25 and Carter Stanley ’25 were quarterfinalists at the Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Saginaw Valley State University.

Jones and Stanley also competed at the Houston preliminary round tournament after being quarterfinalists at the Great Lakes Regional hosted by Saginaw Valley State University. Clever and Whiting advanced to the national tournament preliminary round at the University of Memphis after qualifying from the Fearless Challenge Regional competition at the University of Maryland. However, when winter weather closed the University of Memphis, Clever and Whiting competed in the preliminary round over Zoom. Neither partnership advanced to the elimination rounds that would have qualified them for the national tournament final rounds.

Whiting, an English and sociology major, is a team member who doesn’t plan to pursue a law career, but acknowledged all the moot court skills are beneficial to her education and whatever career she chooses. “Moot court has taught me how to read and write critically, understand both sides of a complex issue, and speak publicly with confidence, even as people are constantly throwing questions at you,” she said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is time management. I had to learn how to balance (moot court) practices with classes, homework, and jobs.”

“Only a handful of our moot court students go on to pursue a career in law, but all of them recognize the experience’s immense contribution to their education and success in virtually any future career,” Rudisill said. “The team at Wooster, one of the largest in the country, is close knit, collaborative, and supportive of all its members. I am so proud of the work that these students put in each year, the success that they earn, and the healthy team culture that they have built and sustain.”

The 2024-25 Moot Court team includes students from a variety of majors.

Top featured image: Anna Whiting ’26 and Riley Clever ’25 traveled to University of Maryland for the Fearless Challenge Regional competition.

Posted in Homepage Featured, News on February 11, 2025.