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2 YSU seniors argue way to regional win
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Youngstown State University seniors Travis Watson, left, and Kevin Hulick, both of Austintown, won first place at the Midwest Regional Tournament of the American Collegiate Moot Court Association. They head to the national competition next month.
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
A skill set that may make someone an annoying dinner companion earned two Youngstown State University seniors a regional championship.
Travis Watson and Kevin Hulick, both of Austintown, beat out 57 teams last month to become Midwest Regional Tournament Champions of the American Collegiate Moot Court Association.
They argued a case that involves both Fourth Amendment and First Amendment issues before a panel of judges. Teams have to be prepared to argue either side of the case, studying decisions pertaining to the subject matter.
They then have to answer judges’ questions.
YSU’s teams are coached by Atty. Ron Slipski, a part-time instructor.
Seven teams from YSU entered the competition, and five of them advance to the national competition next month in Orange, Calif.
“That’s the most teams YSU has ever had go to the national competition,” Watson said.
Both he and Hulick plan to attend law school next year. Hulick is headed to the University of Virginia, and Watson, who has been accepted at the University of Akron, is also considering Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University.
Critiques from judges at the regional tournament scored the aspiring attorneys as either excellent or good in each category.
Teams may earn up to 400 points, 100 each for knowledge of the argument, forensics, courtroom demeanor and response to judges’ questions.
Hulick said that while each competition is challenging, this year, judges seemed more informed about the case participants were arguing. They tried to apply precedent incorrectly to see if the students would correct them, he said.
Other YSU teams advancing to the national competition are Bonnie Laska/Kayla Schindler, Carla Napoli/Josh Prest, Zachary White/Jerod Everly and Teri Ham/Tabitha Stearns.
Watson and Hulick also will enter a written brief in the national contest.
Last year, their brief earned third place and the year before, their brief won second place.
Slipski said that besides being champions, Watson and Hulick are unselfish teammates. The younger YSU teams turned to them for guidance, direction and advice.
That’s one of the reasons the teams did so well this year, he said.
Answering all of those questions from teammates also better prepared Hulick and Watson.
“It definitely helped me as much as it helped them,” Watson said.
Slipski said that of all of the judges Hulick and Watson argued before, only one gave the win to their opponent.
As Slipski was standing outside of the championship round, one judge, a law student from Illinois, approached him to say how much he was impressed with the team.
He had seen them both last year and this year.
“He said, ‘They asked me to judge the final round, but I had to recuse myself. There was no way that I couldn’t give them the win,’” the coach said.
To prepare for the competitions, YSU teams argue the cases before area judges and lawyers who volunteer their time.
Those include Judges Cheryl L. Waite, Gene Donofrio and Mary DeGenaro of the 7th District Court of Appeals; J. Dean Carro of the University of Akron; Jonathan Coughlan of the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel; and two private attorneys from Cleveland.
The teams also were assisted by Rob Budinsky, appeals court administrator, and appeals court staff attorneys Carla Bulford and Jeff Hendrickson and private practice attorney Megan Graff; as well as Alysia D’Amico, the debate coach from Austintown Fitch High School, the alma mater of both Hulick and Mason; Paul Sracic, chairman of YSU’s political- science department; and Christopher Bellas, a YSU criminal-justice professor.