Third-year law student Gray Norton won the championship round of the 2022 Altheimer Moot Court competition held on February 24 via Zoom. She was also named best speaker and recognized for best memoir.

Norton faced sophomores Drew Carnahan and Carson Henderson in the final round.

The students presented their cases before the Hon. Lavenski Smith JD’87, Chief Justice of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals; The deputy. Christy D. Comstock JD’92, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas; and the Hon. Shawn Womack JD’96, Justice of the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

This year’s problem required students to determine whether an individual’s Fourth Amendment and Sixth Amendment rights have been violated when the individual consented to research without knowing the nature of the research. During the trial, a witness currently incarcerated in another state was permitted by the court to testify via Zoom.

“This year’s Ben J. Altheimer contestants impressed us not only with their oral advocacy skills, but also with their professionalism, grace and resilience,” said Rowe and Cross, co-chairs of the Ben J. Altheimer Competition. Moot Court 2022. “We thank them for their ability to pivot between Zoom and in-person formats and for remaining flexible in the face of COVID-19 and weather issues. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to each of our judges, the Arkansas Board of Advocates and faculty members from the University of Arkansas, without whom this competition would not be possible It was an honor for us to chair this event.

The annual competition, named after Arkansas attorney and philanthropist Ben J. Altheimer, is organized by the U of A School of Law Board of Advocates. The student-run council holds three internal competitions each year – the William H. Sutton Barrister Union Lawsuit Competition, the Altheimer Competition, and a Negotiation or Client Counseling Competition – which lead to the selection of competition teams advocacy, trials and defense of clients who travel to regional and national competitions.

About the School of Law: The law school offers a competitive JD as well as an advanced LL.M. curriculum, which are taught by nationally recognized faculty. The school provides unique opportunities for students to participate in voluntarily work, internships, live client clinics, food and farming competitions and initiatives. The school strives to identify, discuss and challenge issues of race, color, ethnicity and the impacts they have on students, faculty and staff members with the aim of create a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. From admitting the six pioneers who were the first African-American students to attend law school in the South without a court order to graduating governors, judges, prosecutors and professors who became President of the United States and Secretary of State, Law The school has a rich history and culture. Follow us on @uarklaw.