2019 Hardt Cup Finals

Zeke Starr '21 and Alexandra "Xan"Belzley ’21, argued Ass’n of N.J. Rife & Pistol Clubs v. Attorney General, N.J., a case involving a state restriction on possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines. Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge J. Michelle Childs of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, and Justice David E. Nahmias of the Georgia Supreme Court presided over the arguments. The Hardt Cup Competition was launched by students in the Class of 1964, in memory of their classmate, A. Lee Hardt, who died after completing his first year at Duke Law. The annual four-round competition for 1Ls is organized by the Moot Court Board and held in the weeks following spring break, with participation in the first round a mandatory component of the 1L Legal Analysis, Research and Writing curriculum. Participation in subsequent rounds, through which students can earn an invitation to join the Moot Court Board, is voluntary. This year, 234 students participated in the first round, 103 elected to continue to the second round, and 25 accepted invitations to join the Moot Court Board. Current Board members Alishan Alibhai ’20, Matthew Conrad ’19, David Davis ’20, and Neil Joseph ’20 served as 2018-19 Hardt Cup Coordinators. Sponsored by the Moot Court Board.