Miles Gray L’24 and Ethan Swift L’24 captured this year’s Keedy Cup as well as Best Brief honors.
Gray was also named Best Oralist.
James Callison L’24 and Justin DiCarlo L’24 argued for Petitioners.
“The Keedy Cup was an incredible opportunity,” said Gray. “Over several months, I learned to write a better brief, give a better argument, and—above all—work on a very fun team. I am very grateful to the judges, the moot court board, Professor Gowen, and everyone else at Penn who helped run the competition.”
Swift called the Keedy Cup “one of the highlights” of his time at Penn Carey Law, specifically praising the collegial, cooperative atmosphere of the Law School.
Callison reflected on the entirety of the experience and expressed hope that this year’s competition inspires future Penn Carey Law students to participate.
“Preparation for the event and the night itself were a perfect mix of exciting, demanding, and fun,” said Callison. “I will remember the overwhelming sense of community support over the past few months. It is a process that required an incredible amount of comradery with a great teammate (a bond forged in fire) and encouragement from loved ones. I am grateful for the Law School community throughout this process—from the many friends who practiced with me to the professors who guided me. Rome was not built in a day, and it is wonderful to think of the competition as a sort of culmination of my experience in law school: from my first-year writing course, to my doctrinal classes, to my appellate advocacy seminar. I distinctly remember watching the Keedy Cup in my first year and being impressed with the command the finalists had of a complex issue. I hope the show we put on impacts the following years of students who seek out this great opportunity.”
Gayle Gowen L’98, Legal Practice Skills Senior Lecturer; Director, Moot Court and LLM Practice Skills, added, “Last night four of Penn Carey Law’s finest advocates argued the pending Supreme Court case of SEC v. Jarkesy before three federal appellate court judges and a standing room only audience. Congratulations to Miles Gray (best oralist), Ethan Swift, James Callison, and Justin Dicarlo on an outstanding performance.”
The Case: SEC v. Jarkesy
Congress has granted the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), by statute, the authority to determine how it enforces securities laws: It can bring an action in an Article III federal court; or it can bring an administrative action before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) — without a jury.
In this year’s Keedy Cup, the finalists argued two issues:
(1) Whether the SEC’s ALJ adjudications violate the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial; and
(2) whether Congress’s grant of authority—allowing the SEC to choose how to enforce its actions—violates the nondelegation doctrine.
The Edwin R. Keedy Cup Competition
The Keedy Cup, which is named for Edwin R. Keedy, who served as Dean of the Law School during World War II, is Penn Carey Law’s intramural moot court competition.
In the Keedy Cup Finals, the four finalists brief and argue a pending Supreme Court case before a panel of sitting federal judges live in Fitts Auditorium.
All members of the Penn Carey Law community are invited to watch and cheer on the student oralists and then attend a celebratory reception in the Goat Lounge.
Learn more about advocacy competitions at Penn Carey Law.
