The James Patterson McBaine Honors Competition is Boalt Hall’s moot court competition and is open to all Boalt second- and third-year law students. The Competition format is modeled after U.S. Supreme Court practice. Cases chosen for the competition involve cutting-edge issues of great public importance. This year’s case is Williams v. Maryland. The case concerns a Second Amendment challenge to the state of Maryland’s handgun carry permitting statute.
For the final round of our 2012-2013 competition, we were proud to welcome Judge Robert Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Sandra Ikuta of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Jon S. Tigar of the Northern District of California.
Competitors are forbidden from using any outside help when writing their briefs and preparing oral arguments. However, the Competition’s Directors host office hours before the brief is due to provide participants an opportunity to discuss the case, brief-writing, and oral argument preparation. Competitors are also welcome to email the Directors at any point in the process with questions or concernsmcbaine.competition@gmail.com. Bill Fernholz, the Director of Appellate Programs, and Anne Gordon, the Advocacy Fellow, are also available for individual meetings throughout the competition.