Hawaiʻi National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Team

The new members of the William S. Richardson School of Lawʻs Native American Moot Court Team have been selected. This year proved to be another grueling process for tryout judges, Professors Melody MacKenzie, Williamson Chang (advisor), and Carl Christensen. Each year a good number of students tryout for the team. Selecting the new team members was no easy task as numerous law students tried-out and were quite good in their advocacy skills. Tryouts were conducted over the course of two days earlier this month.

Pictured. Back row: *Mark Kaetsu, Chasid Sapolu, *Max Kopper, *David Kopper, Uilisone Tuʻa, *Keani Alapa, Jesse Smith. Front row: Captain Kaʻupena Soon, Lahela Hite, *Jeannin Russo, *Malia Gibson, *Sherilyn Tavares, and Scott Shishido.

* denotes newly admitted team member.

Our team participates annually in the National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition. This year the competition (in its 18th year) will be held in Vermillion, South Dakota, February 19-20, 2009. More information about the competition is available at www.usdnalsa.org.

Last year, the Richardson duo of Ann Otteman and Jesse Smith captured Second Place in last yearʻs overall category (Best Advocates) at the competition held in Boulder, Colorado. In the past five years Richardson teams have performed well in the competition. In the years 2007-2009, Richardson teams ascended to the final oral argument round of the competition. In 2005 and 2006, Richardson teams placed Second and Third respectively for Best Brief. (see the teamʻs track record below) Prior to these years, Richardson teams consistently performed well.

If you would like to help support the team financially, PLEASE CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible online donation.


Year Award
1997 Best Oralist First Place
1998 Best Overall Team Second Place
1998 Best Brief Third Place
1999 Best Overall Team First Place
1999 Best Overall Team Third Place
1999 Best Brief Second Place
1999 Best Brief Third Place
1999 Best Oralist Third Place
2000 Best Overall Team First Place
2001 Best Overall Team First Place
2003 Best Oralist Second Place
2005 Best Brief Second Place
2006 Best Brief Third Place
2007 Best Advocates First Place (formerly known as Best Overall)
2007 Best Oralist Second Place
2008 Best Brief First Place
2008 Best Oralist First Place
2008 Best Advocates Third Place
2008 Best Advocates Second Place
2009 Best Advocates Second Place

From Azusa, California to Manoa

Ann Kanoelehua Otteman a third year law student and a finalist in this year's National Native American Law Students Association's moot court competition talks about the need for Native Hawaiian attorneys and law students. Ann took Second Place with her partner Jesse Smith. CLICK HERE for Honolulu Advertiser article. Find out what Ann had to say in the video below.



As part of our community outreach, for the next several weeks, we are providing a series of video clips of law students (and a few lawyers) on our blog. These law students and lawyers share their experience either in law school or in the legal profession.

We invite you to watch these brief video clips and hear what these inspirational people have to say.

For Third Consecutive Year, UH Places Among Top Teams

UH Law School Moot Court Team Again Finishes Among the Top Teams In National Competition

HONOLULU ­­­– Students from the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law successfully defended their title and won second place again at the National Native American Law Students Association’s Moot Court Competition. More than 40 teams from 17 law schools across the United States competed. This marks the third year in a row that a University of Hawai`i Law School team competed in the final round.

“Once again our students worked very hard and did an outstanding job in this intense national competition,” said Avi Soifer, Dean of the Law School. “We are very proud of all these students and very grateful to all the members of the legal community who helped them prepare so well for the national competition.”

The 17th annual National Native American Law Students Association’s Moot Court Competition was hosted this year by the law schools at the University of Colorado and Denver University. Law students compete by arguing both sides of a simulated appeals court case both orally and in writing.

Third year law student Ann Otteman and second year law student Jesse Smith completed five oral argument rounds before reaching the final round. Otteman and Smith took second place in the Best Advocates category, while a team from Columbia Law School finished in First Place. This category represents the top team of competitors in the oral argument portion of the competition.

Other students who competed included third year law students Rafael Renteria, Christopher Santos, and Terrence Thornburgh, and second year law students Lahela Hite, Chasid Sapolu, Scott Shishido, Ka`upena Soon, and Kau`i Yamane. Six of these students also reached the top 16 team bracket. These Hawai'i law students were accompanied by Joni Domingues and Uilisone Tua.

Hawai`i judges, attorneys, and law professors helped to prepare Hawai`i’s teams. The judges included federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Clifton, District Court Judges David Ezra and Michael Seabright, and Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi.

The Honolulu Advertiser also had an article on this.