Valparaiso University School of Law

Valparaiso University School of Law Valparaiso University School of Law students will present arguments concerning First Amendment protection of attorney advertising to a panel of three state and federal judges during an annual test of their legal skills.

The students will be participating in the final round of Valparaiso University School of Law’s 21st a...nnual Luther M. Swygert Memorial Moot Court Competition to be held at 4:00 p.m., October 28, 2009 at the Valparaiso University Center for the Arts.

Hearing the arguments of law students who have made the final round are Justice Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, Justice Frank J. Sullivan, Jr. of the Indiana Supreme Court, and Justice David H. Sawyer of the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The annual competition is sponsored by the Swygert Family endowment to showcase current First Amendment issues. This year’s case will address whether attorney speech should be considered political or commercial in the framework of the Central Hudson analysis, and whether Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1(a) and 7.3(b) regarding attorney advertising and misleading speech are constitutional.

During the Swygert Competition, members of Valparaiso’s Moot Court Society begin by preparing briefs for their assigned party. That is followed by four preliminary rounds of judging held prior to the final round, in which distinguished jurists serving courts throughout the country read the four finalists’ briefs and hear their arguments. Prizes in the competition are awarded for “Best Oralist of the Preliminary Rounds”, “Best Brief”, “Best Oralist” and “Best Team”.

The late Luther M. Swygert served as assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, chief district judge for the Northern District of Indiana and as chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Judge Swygert was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Valpo’s School of Law in 1963. He also served as a jurist-in-residence and taught at the School of Law.

A limited number of tickets for the final round of the 21st Annual
Luther M. Swygert Memorial Moot Court Competition are available for faculty and staff. Please contact Melissa.Mundt@valpo.edu or x7847 to reserve a ticket. First come, first served.