University of St. Thomas School of Law moot court team members Rachelle Velgersdyk, Parker Olson, and James Todd emerged from a 33-team regional tournament in Las Vegas on March 1 to advance to the National Appellate Advocacy Competition Finals held April 10-12 in Chicago. The UST Law team bested teams from the University of Minnesota, Memphis, Vanderbilt, and No. 1-seeded Miami.
“The ABA moot court tournament is the largest and, in my opinion, the most competitive in the country. It draws powerhouse moot-court programs from the top law schools,” coach Aaron Knoll ’12 said. “The team had to fight for every point, judge, and win — and fight they did. They toppled Miami and Memphis (who rank among the top 15 programs nationally) along the way. This is a testament to the sheer grit, perseverance, and brilliance that personify these students. They are phenomenal.”
Also coaching the team is David Carrier ’12. Velgersdyk, Olson, and Todd are members of the UST Law Class of 2014.