Hosted by the student-run Moot Court Board, the 15th Billings, Exum, and Frye National Moot Court Competition featured teams from law schools across the country that argued the constitutional merits of a fictional lawsuit taking aim at a law banning transgender athletes in public schools and colleges.
A seventh grader born male and identifying as female since the third grade had intended to join a middle school’s volleyball and cross country teams before a state law halted those plans.
The child’s mother sued and asked the court to strike down the law as a violation of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Attorneys for the state argued that the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which classifies athletes based on their biological sex at birth, preserves opportunities for females because males, as a group, have significant athletic advantage over females.
In this lawsuit, lower courts ruled that the “Save Women’s Sports Act” is, in fact, constitutionally permitted, without taking a position on the merits or wisdom of the policy. The mother has appealed her case to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Such was the fictional problem presented to students that competed this fall in Elon University School of Law’s 15th Billings, Exum, and Frye National Moot Court Competition. By the end of the contest, Carter Leverette and Stephen Nast of Liberty University School of Law had triumphed over 39 other teams, narrowly edging the duo of Hannah Barrios and John Howell from William & Mary Law School in a final round judged by three of North Carolina’s top jurists.
Leverette also took home the Best Oral Advocate Award for the final round, while Nast captured the Best Oral Advocate Award from the preliminary rounds.
The competition problem for Elon Law’s tournament from October 10-12, 2024, was inspired by cases out of Idaho and West Virginia currently before the Supreme Court involving lower courts that had blocked enforcement of such bans.
The winning team from Liberty University will receive a replica of Elon Law’s Chief Justices’ Cup and have its school name engraved on a permanent trophy that resides at Elon Law. Each individual member of the first-place team also received a plaque.
“This year’s competition challenged the competitors to craft arguments confronting legal issues that are complex, sometimes divisive, and likely soon to be before the United States Supreme Court, and they did an exceptional job of advocating their positions,” said Vice Dean and Professor Alan Woodlief, director of Elon Law’s Moot Court Program. “This was the largest Billings, Exum & Frye Competition since the start of the pandemic, with 40 teams from 25 law schools attending, and I was very proud of the Moot Court Board’s work planning and coordinating another successful competition.”
Reflections from the Winning Team
- “What stood out for this competition was the cutting-edge problem. We had to deal with a real-world legal question that’s very important, right now, with teams rising to a level that took into account the sincerity of the issues. This competition was seamlessly run. It pushed us all to compete well and allowed everyone to truly shine.” – Carter Leverette, Class of 2025, Liberty University School of Law
- “Every single round, the opponents were very detailed and very prepared. It was just an enjoyable experience. It was fun to go up against other people who knew the problem, knew the issues really well, and to have some mental gymnastics with all of it. And the judges were amazing.” – Stephen Nast, Class of 2025, Liberty University School of Law
Final Round Judges
The Honorable Phil Berger, Jr.
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Honorable Tobias (Toby) Hampson
North Carolina Court of Appeals
The Honorable April Wood
North Carolina Court of Appeals
Semifinal Round Judges
The Honorable Ralph Walker (retired)
North Carolina Court of Appeals
The Honorable James Gale (retired)
North Carolina Business Court
The Honorable Lindsay Davis (retired)
North Carolina Superior Court
The Honorable Douglas Green
North Carolina District Court
The Honorable Sarah N. Lanier L’10
North Carolina District Court
The Honorable Carrie Vickery L’09
North Carolina District Court
Gregg Schwitzgebel (retired)
Associate General Counsel, North Carolina League of Municipalities
Elon Law Moot Court Board Committee Co-Chairs for the 15th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition
Overall Competition Chairs: Jessica Morales L’24 and Brooke McCormick L’24
Judge Committee Chairs: Rebecca Iyoob L’24 and Sydney Keesee L’24
Bailiff Committee Chairs: Ashe Cooper L’24 and Joy Reibold L’24
Scoring Committee Chairs: Lupe Ramirez-Rios L’24 and Elizabeth Fadl L’24
Team Hospitality Committee Chairs: Serenity Wiles L’24 and Sydney Rimmer L’24