On April 26, 2018, ConSource and The Harlan Institute will host the championship round of the sixth annual National Virtual Supreme Court Competition for high school students. 

The championship will be hosted from 1 p.m to 2 p.m. in the Supreme Court Institute Moot Court Room at Georgetown University Law Center, allowing these talented high school students to argue their case in a replica of the courtroom at the United States Supreme Court.

The Virtual Supreme Court Competition offers teams of two high school students the opportunity to research cutting-edge constitutional law, write persuasive appellate briefs, argue against other students through video chats, and try to persuade a panel of esteemed attorneys during oral argument that their side is correct. This year’s competition focuses on Carpenter v. United States.

The top two teams, who were selected after two highly competitive preliminary rounds, will have the opportunity to argue their side of the case in front of a distinguished panel of judges, including:

(1) Honorable Brett Kavanaugh, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
(2) Honorable Meg Ryan, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

(3) Honorable Royce Lamberth, United States District Court for the District of Columbia​

Zack Lori and Chris McDonnell from Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut, will argue on behalf of the petitioners, and Joanna Boyer and Makaylia Askew from Creekview High School in Carrolton, Texas, will argue on behalf of the respondents.

Julie Silverbrook, Executive Director of ConSource, said of the students: “They represent the very best of America.  They are informed, engaged and passionate. If you’re available on April 26 to see these young students in action, you will undoubtedly walk away with a renewed faith in the future of the American republic!”

One of the winners of the 2016 Virtual Supreme Court Competition, Tanya Reyna, an exceptional young woman from an impoverished, high crime area in Texas, shared that her experience with the competition two years ago “eased [her] apprehension” about the future. She said that meeting students, lawyers, professors and judges willing to take time out of their busy schedules “to inform younger generations of citizens about our legal system,” demonstrated to her that “as long as there are citizens like them, America will continue to hold a bright future.”

Josh Blackman, President of the Harlan Institute, explained that the “phenomenal students and teachers involved in this tournament restore my faith in the future of our Republic.”

If you are interested in attending the championship round to cheer on this year’s finalists, please email Julie.Silverbrook@consource.org. This event is free and open to the public.