Wooster Places Third at American Collegiate Moot Court Tournament

Written by John Finn 330-263-2145 Email Story | Print Story

February 1, 2005

Members of The College of Wooster's 2005 National Moot Court Team are (Front Row, left to right): Michael Ruttinger, Michael McMaster, Lauren Schreur, and Matthew Long. (Back Row, left to right): James Owens, Christopher Billow, Eric Boehme (coach), Cameron MacLeod, and Eric Roscoe. (Not Pictured: Stephen Schott, Anne Leigh, Charles Fischer, Michael Broda, Jennifer Woloschyn, and Natalie Miller).

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster made another strong showing at the American Collegiate Moot Court Association's (ACMA) National Tournament, finishing third in the 25-team event, which was held Jan. 21-22, in Arlington, Texas.

Wooster sent seven two-person teams to the national tournament and participated in several categories, including the brief-writing competition where Natalie Miller and Lauren Schreur achieved All-American status by placing first in the written brief for petitioner. In addition, Michael Ruttinger was recognized as an All-American after placing third in the written brief for respondent. Also, Michael Broda and Charles Fischer received Honorary Mention for their brief for respondent.

Individually, Broda was recognized as an ACMA All-American Orator by placing fifth. Six other members of the Wooster team also finished among the top 25: Cameron MacLeod (11th), Jennifer Woloschyn (13th), Matt Long (14th), James Owens (15th), Eric Roscoe (17th), and Mike Ruttinger (24th).

Wooster was impressive in the oral argument team competition as well with three teams finishing among the top 17 at the tournament. Two of those teams tied for 16th place and had to compete in a play-off on Friday night to determine which team would compete in the "Sweet 16" round on Saturday morning. The team of MacLeod and Woloschyn was defeated by the team of Long and Ruttinger and finished 17th in the tournament. Long and Ruttinger then defeated the second seed, a team from Patrick Henry College, the following morning. A second Wooster team with Owens and Michael McMaster was seeded third after the preliminary rounds, and also defeated a team from Patrick Henry in the "Sweet 16." Both Wooster teams were eliminated in the quarterfinals where they lost close decisions.

Also representing Wooster at the national tournament were Christopher Billow, Anne Leigh, and Steve Schott.

"I am very happy with our success at the tournament," said Eric Boehme, the Juliana Wilson Thompson Assistant Professor of Political Science and coach of the Wooster team this year. "The students faced some tough competition, and they should be commended for their efforts. They developed unique and individualized arguments, polishing their oral presentation style and spending many hours outside of the classroom preparing to compete."

Henry Kreuzman, associate professor of philosophy and chair of the Pre-Law Advising Program that sponsors the moot court team, recognized the local legal community for its role in Wooster's strong showing. "A large portion of the team's success is a result of the support we receive from the Wayne County Bar Association," he said. "Members of the Bar Association work closely with the students in preparing their oral arguments. In addition, Daniel Hostetler, president of the Bar Association, has helped to establish a link between the Bar and the College's Pre-Law Advising Program. This type of engagement with our students is extremely valuable."

Matthew Long, president of Wooster�s moot court team, stressed the academic value of the moot court experience. "Attending the competition for the second year, I believe that undergraduate moot court provides college students who have an interest in practicing law with a true taste of what it is like to be an attorney," he said. "Because The College of Wooster focuses on honing writing and persuasion skills through a number of classes and the Independent Study experience, our students are uniquely qualified to excel in a competition such as this. Once one is able to speak confidently on a subject such as Constitutional rights in front of a room full of attorneys, it translates into an increased level of confidence in all they do."