Moot Court Honor Society Holds Presentation at Mesa College for Constitution Day

September 28, 2016 (PRLEAP.COM) Education News
SAN DIEGO, CA, 9/28/16 – To celebrate Constitution Day, students from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law Moot Court Honor Society presented the argument in Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Board of Elections to a packed lecture hall of students and professors at Mesa College, a community college in San Diego on September 16th.

Next month, the United States Supreme Court will soon hear the actual argument in this case. It involves a challenge brought by voters in 12 Virginia districts to the re-districting plan for the Virginia statehouse that was imposed by the state legislature after the 2010 census.

The plaintiffs argue that the redistricting plan violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by requiring a minimum 55% black voting age population in all 12 minority-majority districts in the state. The plaintiffs alleged that 55% majorities were unnecessary to enable black voters to elect their candidates of choice and that by packing so many minority voters into these 12 districts, the state diluted the influence of black voters in other districts throughout the state.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law Professor Steven Semeraro opened the event with a presentation on the Voting Rights Act and the constitutional law applicable to the case.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law students then presented the argument and served as justices of the Supreme Court questioning the advocates. Kally Mullett (3L) presented the argument for the voters and Andrei-Vladimir Dumitrescu (3L) argued for the state. Laura Fetto (3L) portrayed an assistant solicitor general presenting the views of the United States government, and Nadia Akaweih (3L), Jennifer Kay Pua Uyehara (3L), and Joel Garcia (3L) were the justices of the Court, along with three Mesa College professors.

A lively discussion followed the arguments at which students and faculty from Mesa College weighed in with their views.

"We really enjoy these opportunities," Professor Semeraro said, "to engage the community by presenting cutting edge legal issues in an understandable format in which everyone can participate and learn."

Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers a comprehensive legal education to a nationally-based, diverse student body. The non-profit law school is consistently ranked as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, with 52 percent of its most recent class being students of color. Located in Downtown San Diego, Thomas Jefferson Law has evolved into an innovative, cutting-edge law school, devoted to the individual needs and success of its students. More information is available at www.tjsl.edu.


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CONTACT: Thomas Jefferson School of Law Director of Marketing and Communications Edgar Hopida, 619-961-4314 or 619-913-0719, ehopida@tjsl.edu

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