Parker Fiedrich is the winner of the Second Annual Oral Argument Competition at University of Wisconsin Law School.

In the spring semester of each year, UW Law’s Legal Analysis, Advocacy, and Writing program (LAAW) gives law students a first opportunity to try their hands at oral advocacy. After drafting their trial brief, students argue the case to their professor against another student advocate.

In 2024, students argued about whether the community caretaking exception to the Fourth Amendment applied to the search of a recreational vehicle parked in a farmer’s field. The problem allowed students to explore multiple potential avenues of attack and defense. Among other things, the problem required students to apply the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Caniglia v. Strom, consider the distinction between homes and vehicles under the law, and understand and apply the fundamental policy aims of the Fourth Amendment.

After listening to all their students’ oral arguments, each professor nominated the best oral advocates from their sections, who then competed in a two-day elimination tournament to select a winner. After the first day of the tournament, the field was winnowed to just two from 14 semi-finalists.

The final argument was a contrast in styles and approaches, with the defense parrying a very “hot” bench by building a creative argument on the policy foundations of the Fourth Amendment and the prosecution successfully managing tricky hypotheticals with, among other things, a sterling and persuasive management of the facts. After an unusually long and difficult judging debate, the LAAW faculty gave Fiedrich the narrowest of wins over runner-up Ava Brogan.

The LAAW program is proud of all the competitors for another excellent year of student oral arguments!

Submitted by Law School News on May 28, 2024

This article appears in the categories: Features, Students