Every year, I am blown away by the hard work, poise, and exceptional presentation skills on display in the 1L Oral Advocacy Competition. Last night was no exception. Our finalists demonstrated not only mastery of legal principles and persuasive argumentation but also poise, confidence, and the ability to think critically under pressure. They exemplified the highest standards of legal advocacy.
Please join me in congratulating all the 1L students on the completion of this important milestone of their first year. Whether or not they received an award, this is a significant achievement.
In addition, please join me in congratulating the best oralists from last night—Julian Sanders (1st), Tony Mayotte (2nd), and Ethan Day and Bailey Braneff (tied for 3rd)—as well as the best brief writers—Sarah Sanders (1st), Laura Fox (2nd), and Krystal (Soo Jeong) Kang (3rd). They make us all proud.
I also want to extend my gratitude to the RWA faculty and judges who contributed to the success of the 1L oral arguments. Their dedication and support have been instrumental in providing our students with this invaluable learning experience. In addition, we were particularly honored to have a distinguished panel of judges and friends of the College with us last night, including:
Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement of the Michigan Supreme Court;
Judge Sima Patel of the Michigan Court of Appeals; and
Brock Swartzle of the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Finally, we are grateful to our sponsors, both old and new, for their generous support. We were delighted this year to receive the sponsorship of the MSU Federal Credit Union of our best oralist prizes. In addition, we are incredibly grateful for the long-standing support of our distinguished alum and former Chair of our Board of Trustees, Don Nystrom. Don founded the best brief competition while a law student and Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan State Law Review. He has generously supported the best brief prizes since their inception.
Once again, congratulations to our 1Ls on their achievement. The faculty and staff at the College look forward to witnessing your future successes in the upper level in and in your careers.
All my best,
Michael Sant’Ambrogio
Interim Dean
Michigan State University College of Law