Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court will preside over a mock court case conducted by UF law students at 10 a.m. today at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
In the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Final Four competition, four UF law students will be judged by their oral and written arguments in a hypothetical legal case.
Roberts will be one of four judges presiding over the competition.
Roberts joined the Supreme Court in 2005, and he is the first Supreme Court justice to judge the competition. Other judges are from the 11th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals or graduates of UF's Levin College of Law.
The hypothetical legal issue this year is pro-life and pro-choice license plates, said Charles Roberson, president of the UF Moot Court Board.
Organizers originally planned to open the event to others, but the nearly 1,700 tickets were snatched up by the law college community, said Debra Amirin, Levin College of Law spokeswoman.
Student competitors will compete for cash prizes.
"I'm sure their anxiety level will be a little higher (with Roberts presiding), but I'm sure they're going to do a great job," said Robert Jerry, dean of the Levin College of Law.
Jerry said UF invited Roberts about a year ago and former Congressman and UF alumnus Paul Rogers - who practiced law with Roberts in Washington, D.C. - helped persuade him to participate.
Other speakers on campus today include Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Frank Fahrenkopf, former chairman of the Republican National Committee. They will speak at the Ocora Room at Pugh Hall about the role of political parties in elections as part of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service lecture series.
The lecture is open to the public, and tickets can be picked up at 220 Pugh Hall. Entrance is limited to about 200 people.
