Details of Competition

The Judge Conrad B. DubersteinNational Memorial Moot Court Competition is the nation’s only moot court competition devoted entirely to bankruptcy. Jointly sponsored by St. John’s University School of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the competition is named for distinguished St. John’s alumnus and former ABI Director the late Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein.

ABI is the nation’s largest multi-disciplinary membership organization devoted to research and education on insolvency issues. St. John’s is a leader in bankruptcy education and offers the only LL.M. in bankruptcy law.

The competition is designed to promote and recognize the finest oral and written advocacy on a significant problem in bankruptcy practice. It is not required or even expected that students have taken a course in bankruptcy or creditors’ rights. Prizes in the ABI/Duberstein Competition include awards for the first-, second- and third-place teams, the best written brief and the best oral advocate.

Each team argues in at least two preliminary rounds on alternating sides. Sixteen teams will progress to the octa-final round. Sides in the preliminary and later rounds are chosen randomly. Preliminary rounds and briefs will be judged by prominent bankruptcy practitioners and judges. The final round is judged by leading members of the federal judiciary.

The event concludes with a gala awards banquet, attended by most of the leading New York bankruptcy judges and practitioners. More then 800 attended the 2008 banquet at pier 60, Chelsea Piers.

Any ABA accredited law school may enter one or two teams, comprised of two or three students each. To be part of this unique, national competition, complete the adjacent application and return it to the St. John’s University School of Law. For more information, visit www.law.stjohns.edu/bankruptcy/.

Download the 2008 competition’s Fact Pattern.
Information from Prior Competitions