The Harris Law Firm’s very own Attorney Katherine “Katy” Ellis will be serving as the Regional Administrator for the upcoming Rocky Mountain Regional moot court competition!
Hosted by the University of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Regional is part of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The Jessup Moot, as it’s also known, is the largest and longest-running international moot court competition in the world, with nearly 700 law schools from over 90 countries participating each year. Law schools in the U.S. compete in one of six regional competitions, with the top two teams from each region advancing to the international rounds in Washington, D.C. to compete against teams from other nations.
A long-standing Jessup Moot volunteer and a former participant herself while she attended the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, Katy helps administer our region’s Jessup Qualifying rounds. This year, the oral rounds of the DU regional will be held from February 22-24.
About the Jessup Moot
The competition allows teams from every eligible school to hone their litigation skills, including oral and written arguments, by simulating a hypothetical dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial branch of the United Nations.
This year’s fictional dispute involves a situation in which an indigenous group had been hunting and eating yaks for many years. Someone eventually noticed the indigenous population had very low rates of diabetes, conducted clinical trials, and ultimately patented a drug derived from the yaks to treat diabetes. This then led to domestic requirements that people could only hunt yaks with government-issued permits, which naturally interfered with the indigenous group’s ability to exercise their historical yak cultivation.
The competition involves many interesting issues related to patents, environmental law, indigenous peoples’ law, and yaks! It’s also made possible by an elite corps of volunteer lawyers like Katy whose passion for the law and supporting our next generation of legal minds ensure there are Judges and Administrators to evaluate and score competitor pleadings and organize qualifying rounds.
Driven By Values: In and Out of the Courtroom
The Harris Law Firm believes the Jessup Moot is an outstanding program, and that hard-working volunteers like Katy are precisely why the competition has been held every year since 1960! Not only does it foster networking opportunities among current and aspiring attorneys and judicial officers, it also promotes the practice of law and helps some of the most promising law school academic stars in the Denver area and beyond. It’s a heck of a lot of work, but a heck of a lot of fun – and we encourage you to attend!
Attorney Katy Ellis is an experienced advocate passionate about guiding clients through difficult personal and legal journeys involving matters of divorce and family law, as well as appeals. Over her years in practice, Katy has been named to the prestigious Colorado Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars multiple times, and has been recognized among the Top 10 Attorneys Under the Age of 40 by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys. In addition to serving as a Regional Administration for the Jessup Moot, Katy is actively involved in other pro bono work, including Family Tree Legal Clinics, Mi Casa Legal Night, and the Colorado Appellate Pro Bono Committee.
If you have questions about a potential family law matter anywhere in Colorado, our caring and compassionate lawyers are here to help. Contact us to speak with a member of our team.