3L Evan Flournoy, 3L Patrick Cannon, and 2L Brittany Lannen with coach Joe Spence (standing). The team was presented with a problem which dealt with intellectual property issues, a subject they sought extra coaching in from associate professor Megan Carpenter.

In a performance that one competition judge said was better than the work of some professionals he sees, the moot court team of 3L Evan Flournoy, 2L Brittany Lannen, and 3L Patrick Cannon placed second at the Tenth Annual Pepperdine Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition on Nov. 15-17, with Cannon receiving second place brief-writing honors.

The competition was held in Malibu, Calif., and included teams from law schools across the country. The team was coached by Fort Worth attorney Joe Spence, with additional guidance from associate professor Megan Carpenter. As an expert in intellectual property law, Carpenter consulted with the team and provided guidance about the intellectual property issues involved in their case.

“The problem the team was given sits at the cutting-edge of intellectual property issues, and I was impressed with the team's understanding of the legal issues involved,” Carpenter said. “The team did an excellent job of parsing out the complexities involved in the statutory framework, which is not an easy task - even, sometimes, for practicing attorneys and judges. I am very proud of the skill they demonstrated in mastering these difficult legal issues.”

The team went up against New York Law School, South Texas College of Law, and Michigan State University College of Law during the quarter, semi-final, and final rounds, respectively. Flournoy said that while preparation for the competition was rigorous, the team’s success is indicative of the dedication and time contributed on multiple levels.
 
“Once again, Wesleyan made it to the final round of the Malibu competition, which is a clear indication of the exceptional coaching and support provided at so many levels,” Flournoy said. “In addition to the numerous hours put in by our team and our coach, we also received tremendous help from alums and professors. Nothing comes close to preparing you for appellate practice like this does.”