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Smith Hulsey & Busey and Smith, Gambrell & Russell host 41st Annual Florida-Georgia Moot Court Competition

UPDATE: Congratulations to the 2021 winners, the students from the University of Georgia School of Law!

The annual Florida/Georgia – Hulsey/Gambrell Moot Court Competition is back and in-person this year. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 29, at the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse in Jacksonville.

The competition between students from the University of Florida College of Law and the University of Georgia School of Law is held annually on the Friday before the Florida/Georgia football game and has become a tradition in the Jacksonville legal community. Last year’s competition was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, two law students from each school will once again compete in a mock case before the U.S. Supreme Court and make their appellate arguments before a panel of federal judges. The appeal for this year’s competition concerns (1) whether a non-cohabitant romantic partner is able to provide consent for a warrantless search and (2) whether religious affiliation should be a protected class under Batson v. Kentucky.

The victors in the case earn the championship trophy to keep at their law school for the year. The tournament record stands at 25 wins for Georgia, 11 wins for Florida and four ties.

The participating judges in this year’s competition are:

  • The Honorable Stan Baker, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia
  • The Honorable Timothy J. Corrigan, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • The Honorable Brian Jordan Davis, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • The Honorable Marcia Morales Howard, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • The Honorable Lisa Godbey Wood, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia

Law firms Smith Hulsey & Busey and Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP sponsor the event in honor of the late Mark Hulsey, a partner with Smith Hulsey & Busey, and E. Smythe Gambrell, a founding partner of Smith Gambrell. Gambrell was president of the American Bar Association and the American Bar Foundation. Hulsey served as president of The Florida Bar and the Jacksonville Bar Association.

The 41st annual Florida/Georgia – Hulsey/Gambrell Moot Court Competition is open to members of the public who wish to attend. View the agenda here.

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