Marianas High School seniors Julia Taitano and Jia Nicdao, center, hold the Lady Hustisia perpetual trophy after winning the 2024 High School Moot Court championship on Friday, Dec.6 2024 at the Guma’ Hustisia. Also in photo are MHS coach attorney Stephen Woodruff, MHS Principal Melanie Rdiall, Melisha San Nicolas of the Public School System’s federal programs office, CNMI Supreme Court Justice John Manglona, and District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona.
Runners up Carlyn Dela Cruz and Christopher Dela Cruz of Mount Carmel School, center, with judiciary and MCS officials as well as court personnel.
DEMONSTRATING exceptional composure and legal knowledge, Marianas High School seniors Julia Taitano and Jia Nicdao won the 2024 High School Moot Court competition on Friday, defeating 30 students from MHS, Saipan International School, and Mount Carmel School.
Taitano and Nicdao faced Mount Carmel School students Carly Dela Cruz and Christopher Dela Cruz in the championship round, with CNMI Supreme Court Justices John Manglona and Perry Inos, along with District Court of the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, testing the students’ knowledge of a fictional case by asking legal questions that would typically be posed to real attorneys.
Unlike the mock trial competition, the moot court competition deals with appellate cases.
The competition was held at the Guma’ Hustisia in Susupe on Dec. 5-6.
Taitano and Nicdao were awarded the perpetual championship trophy, Lady Hustisia, and will represent the CNMI in the National Association of Moot Court Tournament at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut on April 5-6, 2025.
The two are seriously considering becoming attorneys in the future.
“I’m definitely considering it,” Taitano said. “I’m a little bit hesitant because I’m aware that law school has such a big workload, but it’s definitely one of the careers I’m considering.”
She added, “I’m just really glad [we won] and not only am I acting like an example for the rest of our competing members but also I gained so much benefit from learning about the legal process and [honing my] speaking skills as well.”
Nicdao, for her part, said, “I think the competition greatly helps students that want to pursue law and I’m really thankful that the Judiciary gave us this opportunity because I really want to go to law school and I want to be a lawyer, so this is perfect for me.”
The 2024 Moot Court champions said they practiced everyday in person or online.
This is Taitano’s second time to win the Moot Court championship. She and fellow MHS student Princes Habal finished first in last year’s competition.
Taitano said she feels great about winning the championship for the second time. “I’m just really glad I was able to bring Jia [Nicdao] to earn this award,” she added.
Although it was Nicdao’s first Moot Court competition, she had competed in a Mock Trial. She said having Taitano as a partner helped her during the Moot Court competition.
“Her guidance and her direction when it came to our planning and to our practicing really helped us. I’m also really happy that a lot of teams participated this year, so now they’re familiar with it and can do whatever they want in next year’s competition,” she added.
This year’s participants argued, either as appellants or appellees, to either affirm or overturn a fictional trial court decision regarding Sabrina Katpinteru v. Biba Regional Aerial Transport, a fictional case.
