Register now: Kaufman Comp! NYC!! Posner!!! Q&A

5 Questions with the Ranker – Kaufman Securities Law Competition

[As stated below, the registration deadline is December 6.]

Ranker: 1. What are the relatively-unique selling points of your comp? This could be anything from cost, location, stature of judges, to competitive nature, number of LSA points available, etc.

Fordham Law will host the Thirty-Sixth Annual Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Competition (www.law.fordham.edu/kaufman) in the heart of New York City, the mother of securities law. The Competition offers teams from around the country the opportunity to test appellate advocacy skills before leading jurists, securities regulators, academics, and practitioners. This year’s esteemed final round panel will feature Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh (D.C. Cir.), Judge Paul J. Kelly, Jr. (10th Cir.), Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr. (6th Cir.), S.E.C. Commissioner Troy A. Paredes, and Judge Richard A. Posner (7th Cir.).

2. Briefly describe last year's problem. This year's. What did/will participants "get out of" briefing and arguing these problems? How do your problems typically compare to those of other comps?

Last year’s problem focused on a complex class action issue and pleading securities fraud. The competitors got great experience researching, writing about, and arguing an issue that often comes up in securities law practice. This year’s will also be complex, and it will drop on January 21, 2011.

3. What time of year does your comp take place? When is registration? How many non-sponsor, non-international teams actually paid, submitted briefs and argued at last year's comp. (If yours is a two-stage competition, e.g. regionals and national/international, please break-down answers to the foregoing three sub-questions by stage.) Recognizing that schools are now competing for LSA points, are you committed to promptly providing the Ranker with number of non-sponsor, non-international teams, as well as the school names of the winner, finalist and semifinalists? Please briefly research and identify competitions that are typically at the same time of year (give or take a few weeks). Relative merits of your comp v. theirs?

The 2011 Kaufman Competition will take place March 24-27, 2011, at Fordham Law School in New York City. Registration closes on December 6 – so soon! - and is capped at 30 teams. We have just a few spots remaining! The registration form and competition rules are available on the website, www.law.fordham.edu/Kaufman.

4. For each round of argument, be it preliminary or elimination, please identify the stature of judges.

Experienced securities law practitioners in the New York area – attorneys from firms, government, public interest groups, companies, and law clerks – judge the Kaufman preliminary rounds (to participate as a judge or grade briefs, please register at www.law.fordham.edu/kaufmanjudge). A mix of expert securities law professionals and professors will judge the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. We are honored that Judges Kavanaugh, Kelly, Martin, Posner, and Commissioner Paredes have agreed to serve as our 2011 final round panel.

5. For scoring of any round of argument, does your comp prioritize oral advocacy or brief-writing -- that is, please disclose whether at any point, your comp weighs one more than the other, e.g. 60/40 rather than 50/50. If so, why?

Preliminary Rounds are weighted 50% brief, 50% oral advocacy; quarterfinal rounds are weighted 25% brief, 75% oral advocacy; the semifinal and final rounds are weighed 100% oral advocacy.

If you have any questions regarding the 2011 Kaufman Competition, please contact Gabriel Gillett, Kaufman Editor, at the Fordham Moot Court office -- 2126366882 -- or via email at KaufmanMC@law.fordham.edu.