On February 7 in the MacDonald Moot Court Room, Paxton Trevett ’27 emerged victorious over runner-up Giovan Soares ’26 in the final round of the 2026 Faust F. Rossi Moot Court Competition after arguing a complex constitutional question. Trevett, arguing for the respondent, and runner-up Soares ’26, arguing for the petitioner, had squared off in the fictional case of DeJean v. United States, which considered whether an attorney violates a defendant’s Sixth Amendment rights by conceding elements of the charged crime over the defendant’s express objection.
“This was such a rewarding experience. I am so grateful that I got the chance to engage with the problem and learn from so many talented competitors,” said Trevett.
The winner of the Louis Kaiser Best Brief Competition was Elliot King ’27.
The final round was adjudicated by an esteemed panel of judges:
Hon. Arianna Freeman
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Hon. Brenda K. Sannes
Chief U.S. District Judge
Hon. Elizabeth Coombe
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
Hon. Mark Pedersen
U.S. District Court for the
Western District of New York
