APPELLATE ADVOCACY PROGRAMJudge Information Page
Welcome to Vermont Law & Graduate School’s Appellate Advocacy page! Appellate Advocacy is an upper-level writing course students take in the summer or fall of their second year at VLGS. In this course, students practice advanced advocacy techniques through drafting a U.S. Supreme Court brief and presenting oral argument before a panel of volunteer judges. Use the form below to sign up to judge this semester’s Appellate Advocacy arguments. You will receive a confirmation email after you sign up to judge. SUMMER 2024 CASE AND DATESLackey v. Stinnie July 26th and 27th 2024 The ACLU sued the State of Virginia challenging a law that automatically suspended the driver’s license of anyone who failed to pay court fines and fees. The district court granted the ACLU’s motion for a preliminary injunction, finding that the law likely violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. As the lawsuit proceeded to trial, Virginia repealed the law. The court then dismissed the case as moot. In this important civil rights case, the Supreme Court will decide whether a party who wins a preliminary injunction but whose case is made moot by the voluntary actions of the defendant is entitled to attorney’s fees as the “prevailing party” under the Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Award Act of 1976. Judges' Sign-up FormPlease enter your contact information and the dates and times you plan to judge on the form below. Each two-hour date/time block includes two arguments, for a total of four students. Please contact Claire Andrews at candrews@vermontlaw.edu if you have questions or need more information. (green background = required field)
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