Winners of the 2020 National Moot Court Competition, from the University of Georgia School of Law (from left) John Lex Kenerly IV, Jonathan Kaufman, Joseph H. "Joe" Stuhrenberg, shown with Douglas Young, president of the American College of Trial Lawyers, sponsor of the competition.

Students from the University of Georgia School of Law won the 70th Annual National Moot Court Competition last week, prevailing among 156 teams overall, including one from St. Louis University in the finals in New York.

The arguments dealt with an imagined an undocumented immigrant convicted under an imagined federal law making it a felony for undocumented immigrants to participate in public political protests.

Third-year law students Jonathan Kaufman, John Lex Kenerly IV and Joseph H. "Joe" Stuhrenberg represented UGA in the tournament, and Stuhrenberg was named the competition's best oralist.

"Our victory at one of the most respected competitions in the country is certainly something to celebrate," said Kellie Casey, UGA law school's director of advocacy. "Our team combined talent, intellect and hard work to win this tournament, and I am very proud of them."

"The efforts of our students—and of our coaches and law school faculty members Kellie Casey and Rob McNiff—have paid off wonderfully," said the school's dean, Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge.

After winning in regional rounds of the competition, the UGA trio went undefeated last week in New York, defeating teams from the law schools at Georgetown University, Loyola University Chicago and Drake University before beating Saint Louis University in the final round.

The final round was judged by the president of the New York City Bar Association, the president of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a federal district judge from New York, a state appellate judge from New York and a U.S. magistrate judge from New York.

The competition is co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the National Moot Court Competition Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

This championship marks the fourth time the UGA School of Law has won the National Moot Court Competition. Last year the winner came from the University of Alabama.