Richmond Law Wins National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition
The University of Richmond School of Law once again displayed its excellence on the national stage, securing a first place victory in the 2024 National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition. The event, which drew 28 teams from 20 law schools across the country, showcased the unmatched legal skills of Richmond Law 3Ls Mimi Mays and Savanna Clendining.
“Being this year's national champions is surreal,” said Savanna. “I have competed in team sports, academic competitions, and military school for many years, but this is my first time finishing in first place. It’s fun to humbly revel in and share this achievement with Mimi.”
Making their victory even more remarkable was the uphill challenge the team faced in the finals. Having represented the Petitioner throughout the competition, they were required to argue “off-brief” in the championship round, switching sides to defend the Respondent—a position completely at odds with their original arguments.
“This is incredibly difficult and made their victory that much more significant,” said Tom Herthel, of counsel at the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), who coached the team along with Vieng Siklar, appeals director at the Virginia Department of Veterans Appeals, and Stacy Tromble, litigation director at NVLSP.
“In my four years of coaching our teams, this was the most challenging problem yet,” Tom said. “Mimi and Savanna did a truly outstanding job in all phases of the competition and represented Richmond Law with distinction.”
To prepare for the competition, Mimi and Savanna dedicated approximately 100 hours to researching, drafting a 30-page brief, and honing their arguments. According to Savanna, the team’s victory relied on the combination of this preparation and the mental agility needed to advocate for both sides of the case.
“My biggest takeaway from competing in the NVLMCC is that moot court training teaches law students how to respond and smoothly go back into your planned arguments, but judges would rather you be authentic and thoroughly think through their questions than simply make all of your points,” she said. “Our success was largely due to our painstaking understanding of the facts and procedural history of the problem, the legal issues, and the history and current thought about our respective issues.”
This is Richmond Law’s second NVLMCC championship in three years, cementing its reputation as a formidable presence in veterans’ law advocacy. According to one of the court’s clerks, Richmond is becoming a force to recon with in this competition.
Other law schools participating in the competition included Baylor, George Washington, George Mason, South Texas, University of the Pacific, Villanova, and others.
