2021 Advanced Competition

The Moot Court Board is excited to give a preview of the 2021 Advanced Competition Problem!  This year’s problem will deal with gender-based pay discrimination and First Amendment protections in public employment.  Anne Marbury is seeking compensatory damages for the harm she alleges she suffered at the hands of the Wampanoag County Health Department.  Ms. Marbury claims that (1) the County discriminated against her on the basis of sex by paying her less than similarly situated male employees because she made less at her former job and (2) the County fired her in retaliation for protected speech.

Can a public employer consider an employee’s prior salary in setting the employee’s starting salary when the result is a gender-based pay discrepancy?  Can a County Health Official responsible for COVID-19 press briefings be fired for retweeting information her employer dislikes?  You tell us!

Get your co-counsel, draft your brief, and argue your position in front of the “Supreme Court” to take home the win.  There are awards for first and second place winners, best brief, and top oral advocates.

We encourage everyone to sign up for the Appellate Advocacy course offered this fall.  The class assignment will revolve around the same issues as the competition, so you can get a leg up on the competition by enrolling in Appellate Advocacy (CRN 88124).

For questions about the competition or the course, please e-mail Associate Justice of the Advanced Competition, Win Duncan, at jbdncan3@memphis.edu or Director of the Advocacy Program, Barbara Kritchevsky, at bkrtchvs@memphis.edu.

Keep your eyes on the Blog for more information about the Advanced Competition!