Amanda Deleon Guimaraes and Christiane Rodrigues have etched their names into the bedrock of Fitchburg State’s Moot Court history—ensuring they will never be forgotten.
The duo proved they could go toe-to-toe with the country’s largest and most established programs, advancing to the second day of the American Collegiate Moot Court Association National Tournament.
The pair’s path to the national stage in January was paved by a Regional Tournament championship, but it was their performance at nationals that truly signaled a shift for the program.
Proving the underdog story in a field often dominated by larger universities, Deleon Guimaraes and Rodrigues relied on superior preparation and sharp oral advocacy to outmatch their opponents. Their advancement to the second day of the national tournament is a significant achievement, placing them among the elite legal minds in collegiate competition.
“This was a magical season,” said Professor Paul I. Weizer of the university’s Economics, History and Political Science Department. “As the season progressed, Christiane and Amanda just kept on improving. By the end, we had very little feedback to offer them. We have been holding moot court competitions at Fitchburg State for a long time, and this team will be remembered as one of our all-time best.”
In 2001, Fitchburg State were the national runners-up. The team has struggled following the pandemic in the last few years, but has recaptured a long-held tradition of excellence with the strongest showing in years at the national tournament.
“We served notice that we are back now,” said Weizer.
To mark their accomplishment, State Rep. Michael P. Kushmerek – a double Falcon – and Senator John Cronin presented Deleon Guimaraes and Rodrigues with special proclamations in front of President Donna Hodge, faculty and staff recently on campus in the Sanders Administration building.
“This will help you propel yourself in your careers moving forward wherever that may take you,” said Kushmerek, who posed for selfies with the students after the presentations. “You’ve gotten off to a great start at Fitchburg State.”
Senator Cronin emphasized the magnitude of their achievement, noting that the team’s success resonated far beyond the classroom.
“You haven’t just represented yourselves well, you’ve represented the university and the city well,” said Cronin. “We’re all really grateful and we can’t wait to see everything you do. This is just the beginning. We’re all really proud of you.”
President Hodge said that there’s real excitement on campus thanks to the tremendous Moot Court success of teammates Deleon Guimaraes and Rodrigues.
“What Amanda and Christiane have achieved transcends a simple win; they have demonstrated the power of a Fitchburg State education on a national stage,” said Hodge. “They haven't just mastered the law; they have modeled the tenacity and excellence we strive for in every Falcon. We are profoundly proud to claim them as our own.”
What Amanda and Christiane have achieved transcends a simple win; they have demonstrated the power of a Fitchburg State education on a national stage. They haven't just mastered the law; they have modeled the tenacity and excellence we strive for in every Falcon. We are profoundly proud to claim them as our own.
The national tournament case was the same case students argued at the Eastern Regional, involving a university's affirmative action program and a public employee's right to criticize the university.
Deleon Guimaraes, a senior, plans to take some time after graduating in the spring to prepare for law school.
Rodrigues, a sophomore, is enrolled in Fitchburg State’s pre-law 3+3 program, through which she will be able to earn her bachelor’s and law degrees in six years, saving a full year of undergraduate tuition and fees.
The students say that the Moot Court experience has been life-changing.
“It was a lot of hard work, and I had an amazing partner that I’m thankful for,” said Deleon Guimaraes. “I’m really glad to represent the school.”
“It’s an honor to take the legacy of the school and to carry the school’s name into competition,” said Rodrigues. “We hope to do even better next year.”
In the three preliminary rounds of the national tournament, Fitchburg State squared off against teams from UC San Diego, Bentley, and Morehouse College. They scored enough ballots to advance to the second day, while 16 of the 32 teams were eliminated after day one.
Fitchburg State eventually was eliminated by the University of Southern California in the Round of 16. The tournament was won by California State University, Long Beach.
“When you get to a level like nationals, everybody knows their case really well,” said Rodrigues. “As you go more into competition, it’s the littlest things that you have to pay attention to to stand out. Our goal was never to win, but we wanted to give it our best. We were satisfied with what we gave. There was nothing that we could have looked back on and was like, ‘oh, I wish we did this.’ I did all that we could and she did all that she could.”
The national tournament was slated to be held at the Memphis School of Law in Memphis, Tenn., but due to inclement weather throughout the country, the tournament was moved to an online format only.
Deleon Guimaraes and Rodrigues were grateful for the university’s IT team that supported their session from Percival Hall.
“IT set up everything. There was a huge TV, three computers in the room,” said Rodrigues.
On the second day of nationals, both students competed from the comforts of their own homes.
“I said that if I couldn’t be with Chris then I want a podium,” said Deleon Guimaraes. “The university said I could take a podium home (in Leominster) and it was fine. It’s surreal to be able to represent the school like that. I’m honored to have that support.”
Rodrigues set up in her bedroom in Hudson, while standing in front of a podium.
“With slippers on,” joked Rodrigues.
The team chemistry between Deleon Guimaraes and Rodrigues was undeniable.
“She’s really good and I equally wanted to keep up,” said Deleon Guimaraes. “There’s a peace of mind knowing that somebody equally wants it as much as you do and is equally putting in the amount of work that you’re putting in.
“I’m excited to see where Chris goes and I’m coming back to see that,” said Deleon Guimaraes. “I know she’s going to do great.”
“We connected on so many levels, and I think that helped get us as far as we went,” said Rodrigues. “I knew that I could trust her. That was the most important part. I knew that she knew absolutely everything in every case, so that left me more confident to focus on myself and got me to a higher standard because she was putting in the work and if I slack off, I’m going to disappoint her.
“We spent so much time together,” said Rodrigues. “It’s really sad that she’s not going to be here next year.”
There's a ton of praise to go around, including the fantastic work by Weizer and assistant coaches, Tina Brigham and Christine Hudson, for all their hard work helping prepare each student for competition.
“Dr. Weizer, Tina and Christine went above and beyond to help us,” said Rodrigues, who also thanked team captain Maggie Bourgeois and Lexi Sandman for volunteering during winter break to help them practice for the nationals, and the unwavering support from her parents, brother and husband. “They always made time to help us out.”
Deleon Guimaraes won an Orator Award, ranking her as one of the top oralists at nationals.
“That was crazy,” said Deleon Guimaraes. “Other schools literally have speech coaches and we didn’t have that, but we can still compete with that because of the confidence (the coaches) gave me. They believed in us even if we felt like we couldn’t do it.”
Weizer is proud of Fitchburg State’s unwavering support of the program.
“Our students compete against some of the best universities in the world,” said Weizer. “They argue against Ivy League schools and schools where students pay 10 times as much in tuition as our students. Yet, we have proven time and again that we can compete with anyone. Much of that success is attributable to the institutional support we receive. Our students have never been asked to pay for the privilege of representing the university in competition. When we needed it, everyone, from the President to the IT staff, to facilities, and our alumni, all made sure that our needs were met and that the students felt supported. I am very grateful.”