Chen ’23 and Gaylord ’23 Win Northeast Round of Regional Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition

10.14.22 — Rachael Chen ’23 and Henry Gaylord ’23 took first place at the 2022 Northeast Regional Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition (TTMCC), held virtually on September 30. Both active members of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), the winning duo are building on an upward trajectory having won for best brief in last year’s regional competition. They now proceed to the national competition, which will be held in person in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2022 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Convention on November 4-5.

The 2022 competition involved two complicated questions concerning discrimination in employment and higher education. The first involved whether Title(s) VI and/or IX recognize a claim for discrimination based on combined race-gender stereotypes. The second concerned the question of whether Title VII preempts employment retaliation claims under Title IX and Title VI and, if it does not, what analytical standard applies to such claims under Titles IX and VI.

“We appreciate the opportunity to compete in the TTMCC for the second year in a row,” said Chen and Gaylord in a joint statement. “We particularly appreciate the opportunity to address another timely and relevant social justice issue. This year, we were excited to address the important issue of discrimination in employment and higher education. It was great to be able to build upon our appellate-level writing and oral advocacy skills and see the areas we have grown and improved. We are so grateful to our coach, Professor Margaret Hahn-DuPont, for her unwavering guidance, support and enthusiasm. We would also like to thank all of those who helped us prepare for oral arguments and the NAPABA for hosting the competition. We are looking forward to nationals in Las Vegas! ”

“The schedule for this year’s competition was extremely onerous; the students had just over one month to research and draft the appellate brief,” said Professor Margaret Hahn-Dupont, who supervised the team. “But I wasn’t worried; Rachaeland Henry are accomplished legal writers, having won the best brief award in the regional competition last year. They then had only one week between brief submission and oral arguments to prepare for the regional rounds but that clearly wasn’t a detriment. Their victory is a testament not only to their strong legal skills but also to their determination, persistence, and professionalism. I could not be prouder of them.”

The Thomas Tang Moot Court competition was founded in 1993 and is named in honor of the late Honorable Thomas Tang, who served on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1977 until his passing in 1995. He was the first American of Chinese descent appointed to the federal judiciary. The annual competition is sponsored by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.