Margo Chapin ’26 and Ry Stratton ’26 Win 65th Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition
After weeks of preparation and preliminary arguments, the final round of the 65th Annual Theodore L. Reimel ’24 CLAS Moot Court Competition concluded on Thursday, November 21, 2024. Named in honor of the late Theodore L. Reimel, judge for the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas from 1953 to 1973, the competition fosters student development in written and oral advocacy through simulated appellate argument. The annual intra-school tournament is a hallowed tradition at Villanova Law.
The fictional case argued in this year’s competition involved Matthew Carson, an inmate serving a twenty-year sentence at the Fremont Correctional Center after he was convicted of beating a security guard to death in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Classified as a mentally ill inmate, Carson was frequently transferred between facilities due to several counts of serious misconduct. Subsequently, Carson served consecutive months in segregation and was eventually denied any time to exercise outside of his cell. Carson claimed his mental health deteriorated, therefore filing a suit against numerous corrections officials, alleging Eighth Amendment claims under § 1983 for loss of yard access during his time in segregation. The defendants moved for summary judgment on the grounds of qualified immunity.
The final round consisted of Brad Edwards '26 and Matthew Peipher ’26, who argued on behalf of the respondent. Margo Chapin ’26 and Ry Stratton ’26, who argued on behalf of the petitioner, were victorious. Chapin was also named Best Oralist in the Final Round.
The final round was presided over by The Honorable Arianna Freeman, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, The Honorable N. Christopher Griffiths ’08 justice for the Supreme Court of Delaware and The Honorable Kimberly A. Moore, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The following students also earned recognition for their exceptional efforts throughout this year’s competition: Chapin and Stratton for Best Overall Brief, Lauren Devletian ’26 and Noah Ryan ’26 for Second Best Brief, Edwards and Peipher for Third Best Brief and Seth Winigrad ’26 for Best Preliminary Round Oralist.