Derik Rush, 3L, and Danny Veselik, 3L, kicked off the 2023-24 moot court competition season with a strong showing at the Emory University Law School’s Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition in Atlanta.

Rush and Veselik argued in three preliminary rounds before advancing to the octofinals, where they were eliminated by a team that moved onto the semifinal round.

Even though they did not advance, they received some high scores from judges for their oral advocacy, and Veselik withstood rapid fire questioning from judges in more than one round.

The team was coached by Attorneys Julie A. Leary (L’20), Theresa Correa McMichan (L’23), and Bailey Groh Rasmussen (L’23). Professor Lisa Mazzie served as advisor and coach.

Rush reflected, “It’s crazy to think a year ago Danny and I were about to turn in our first appellate brief. This Competition was a challenging but rewarding experience, and I am grateful for our coaches who helped us become better advocates.” Congratulations to Rush and Veselik on their success!