Bailiffs Heather Mapes, Vicky Ortuondo, Justine Fox-Young, and Chad Jimenez with Competition Chair Vince Field

Oralist Daniel Zavala from the University of Washington

Judges Sandra Brode and Ian Bucciarelli

Oralists Jessica Latham and Theresa Taing from UCLA

Oralist from the University of Detroit Mercy

Judges Quandee Semrow and Cherie Travis

Oralist from the University of Detroit Mercy

Oralist Jenni James, University of Chicago '12

Oralist Denny Ng, University of Chicago '12

Judges Jordan Matyas and Vandhana Balasubramanian

Moot court teams from the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis

Professors Ginsburg and Baird and Marcia Kramer judging the competition finals

Judge Ardath Hamann

Oralists Laura Morgan and Keren McElvy of the University of Alabama

Oralist Laura Morgan of the University of Alabama in the finals

The panel of judges for the competition finals

Professor Baird judging the finals

Oralist Shai Bronshtein, University of Chicago '12, in the finals. He was named the competition's overall best oralist.

Oralists Laura Morgan and Keren McElvy of the University of Alabama in the competition finals

2nd Place Team Denny Ng and Shai Bronshtein, University of Chicago '12, with Professor Baird after the finals.

1st Place Team Laura Morgan and Keren McElvy, University of Alabama, with their coach.

Students in the University of Chicago Law School’s chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund found a new way to spread the word about animal law last spring by hosting the Law School’s first annual National Animal Law Moot Court Competition, generously sponsored by The McCormick Companions’ Fund. The event, which was one of the only animal law moot court competitions to be held in the Midwest, was designed to increase awareness about the field of animal law and to give students more opportunities to participate in moot court competitions. Twelve teams from nine schools, including three from the Law School, competed in oral arguments in front of a three-judge panel. The teams’ prompt was the case National Meat Association v. Brown, which was granted cert for the U.S. Supreme Court’s October 2011 term. A team from the University of Alabama placed first, besting the Law School team of Denny Ng and Shai Bronshtein, both ‘12. Bronshtein also was named the competition’s overall best oralist.