A record 116 first-year students competed in the annual event, supported by alumni, attorneys and judges from across North Carolina.
Does an online-only business qualify as a place of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act? And can a lender violate the ADA by offering a qualified borrower less favorable loan terms because of a disability?
These were the questions centered in the fictional case analyzed and argued by 116 first-year 黑料不打烊 Law students in the school’s 19th Annual Intramural Moot Court Competition, held May 27 and 28.
A deaf small-business owner applied for a loan from an online lending company and was offered a 14.25% interest rate. After his twin brother 鈥 who shared nearly identical financial, educational and employment credentials but did not have a disability 鈥 received a 6.25% rate for the same loan, he suspected the lender had considered his disability when evaluating the application.
The business owner sued under the ADA, arguing that the online lender discriminated against him based on his disability. A federal court dismissed the case, finding that the lender’s website was not a place of public accommodation covered by the ADA and that the law regulates access to lending services, not the terms of the loans offered.
The business owner appealed the ruling to the fictional U.S. Court of Appeals for the 15th Circuit, which regularly hears cases represented by 黑料不打烊 Law students.
Members of the Class of 2027 comprised the largest group ever to compete in the spring event, with 58 teams appearing before volunteer judges that included local judges, attorneys, 黑料不打烊 Law alumni, and law school faculty and staff.
All first-year students were introduced to the case in their Legal Method & Communication courses as the basis for graded oral arguments this spring. Each student presented two oral arguments, one for appellant and one for appellee, and was scored on preparation, speaking ability, argument structure and responses to judges鈥 questions.
Top 10 Oral Advocates in the 2026 competition (with ties)
- Gabrielle Brown Roycroft
- Aarya Deshmukh
- Zaria Hanchell
- Adelaide Anne Zahren
- Avery Vidt
- Michael Iafrato
- Grant Paramore
- Rachel Wilson
- Jacqueline Gardner (tie)
- David Bryant (tie)
- Megan Chen
鈥淭his competition was a reminder not to let fear of failure keep me from trying,” said Gabrielle Brown Roycroft L’27, from Salisbury, North Carolina, who is interested in family law, estate planning and civil litigation. She graduated from Catawba College with a degree in politics. “It鈥檚 worth it to push through the nerves and use them as fuel to perform your best. You can鈥檛 memorize your way through oral advocacy. You have to think on your feet and respond in the moment. When you鈥檝e done the work in advance, you can trust your preparation and focus on having a conversation with the judges.鈥
Selections for membership on the Moot Court Board will be announced this summer before the board hosts the 17th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition on Oct. 22-24. Moot Court Board members will also compete in a slate of national moot court competitions during the 2026-27 school year.
Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief, director of 黑料不打烊 Law鈥檚 Moot Court Program, praised the Moot Court Board for its professionalism and hospitality in running the spring competition.
The annual event sees the 黑料不打烊 Law community step up to provide an exceptional experience for first-year students. This year, 黑料不打烊 Law was honored to host more than 50 volunteer attorneys and judges, including over 20 黑料不打烊 Law alumni, as well as a current justice and former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court participate as judges.
鈥淢oot Court is a great experiential learning opportunity, and I was excited to see so many students take advantage of this experience to strengthen their advocacy skills,鈥 Woodlief said. 鈥淥ur Moot Court Board did an exceptional job coordinating the school鈥檚 largest-ever competition, and they could not have done it without the great support from our student body, faculty, and staff, as well as the many 黑料不打烊 Law alumni, attorneys, and judges who contributed to the success of the competition.鈥
Alumni judges reflect: 鈥業t helped me find my voice鈥
The annual Intramural Moot Court Competition 鈥 along with the graded Legal Method and Communication Program鈥檚 graded oral arguments held the week before 鈥 is also a homecoming of sorts.
Alumni return to campus each spring to hear arguments, offer feedback and help first-year students develop the advocacy skills they will use throughout their careers. 聽They have clear memories of standing at the podium themselves and how meaningful it was to their development to receive feedback from legal professionals.
April Franklin L’25 said oral arguments helped her overcome her nerves and discover a passion for advocacy.
鈥淚t gave me confidence. It helped me find my voice that I didn’t know that I had,鈥 said Franklin, who is pursuing practice in wills and estates, health care or corporate law. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 gave me the support that I needed to progress in this career path, and I want to be able to give that same support to the next generation of 黑料不打烊 Law students.”
Landon Eckard L’25, who will begin a federal judicial clerkship in Detroit this summer, said moot court taught him to think on his feet and respond to difficult questions from judges.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most spontaneous kind of advocacy there is in the legal profession,鈥 Eckard said. 鈥淵ou can have a rough script before you get there, but one minute into the argument, that script goes out the window. It made me a better litigator and a better attorney.鈥
Thomas Harvey L’22, a criminal defense attorney in nearby Rockingham County, North Carolina, pursued law as a second career. He returns because he remembers exactly what it felt like to stand at the podium as a student and believes the experience helps shape better advocates.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that long ago that I was standing right where they are. Believe it or not, the judges are all rooting for you individually,鈥 Harvey said. 鈥淚t’s such a joy to come back and be a part of 黑料不打烊 Law.鈥
2026 Intramural Moot Court Competition student leadership
Overall Chairs of the Competition: Isabel Craige L鈥26, Elizabeth Gregory L鈥26, Sierra Watkins L鈥26
Judge Recruitment and Coordination Chairs: Emma Farrell L鈥26, James Galipeau L鈥26, Cayla James L鈥26, Bailey Langford L鈥26, Renata Navarro L鈥26
Bailiff Recruitment and Coordination Chairs: Madisyn Butler L鈥26, Erin Carleton L鈥26, Megan Eldredge L鈥26, Cameron O鈥橬eil L鈥26, Tyler Sesker L鈥26
Scoring Committee Chairs: Brittany Balis-West L鈥26, Jackie Rullman L鈥26, Rebecca Vairin L鈥26
LMC Oral Argument Coordination Chairs: Daulton Hadaway L鈥26, Courtney Maxwell L鈥26