Promoted to Professor: Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Law Patricia Perkins

Promoted to Associate Professor: Assistant Professors Rosa Newman and Srikanth Reddy

Perkins currently serves as associate director of academic affairs, overseeing the academic programs, curricula, student enrollment and registration at the School of Law. Additionally, she teaches courses in constitutional law, civil procedure and others that address the rights of incarcerated people, civil rights litigation and the law of section 1983.

Newman joined the Elon Law faculty in 2022, and teaches courses in property, wills and trusts, and real estate transactions.

Reddy teaches courses in the Legal Method & Communication Program, judicial writing, and the First Amendment. He joined Elon Law faculty in 2021.

“Please join me in congratulating our colleagues on these meaningful professional milestones,” �þ��� President Connie Ledoux book said in her message to the university community announcing the promotions.

Much of Dudley’s efforts are made on behalf of clients seeking crisis assistance at Family Justice Centers in Guilford County and Alamance County.

During a ceremony Feb. 11, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson praised Dudley’s leadership of a program that serves “a tremendous number of people in very bad situations, often violent situations.”

“Their lives are made better because Margaret and her team intervene in a way that is empathic and effective,” Jackson said. “They have helped thousands of people in their worst moments.”

Through the Guilford County and Alamance County Family Justice Centers, Dudley oversees legal services that bring attorneys, advocates and community partners together under one roof to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crises. By providing immediate legal guidance, safety planning and coordinated support, the centers help stabilize families, protect victims and create pathways toward long-term safety and independence.

“I am very grateful that this important work is being recognized by our Attorney General,” Dudley said.

At Elon Law, Dudley is regarded as someone whose service to community is the model of what law students and future attorneys should aspire to.

“Margaret’s leadership embodies what it means to be a lawyer in service to others,” said Dean Zak Kramer. “She brings together legal skill, empathy and a deep commitment to justice, ensuring that survivors receive compassionate, high-quality legal support when they need it most. We are extraordinarily proud of the difference she makes every day.”

Dudley’s career and influence have been widely recognized. She was recently , was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Greensboro Bar Association, and . Colleagues and community partners alike regard her as a tireless advocate whose work has improved — and in many cases saved — thousands of lives.

Dudley excelled in school and eventually attended Howard University for both her �þ��� and law degrees. She would become the third Black woman to practice law in Guilford County and the first Black woman to hold the position of Deputy County Attorney in Guilford County.

Dudley later achieved success as a partner at a private firm in Guilford County before setting out as a solo practitioner in 1994. A longtime educator and mentor to young people, she taught Constitutional Law at N.C. A&T State University for more than two decades before joining the Emergency Legal Services Program as its founding director.

At Elon Law, she prepares students to practice law with skill and empathy.

Jsaela Barrow L’26, Jennifer Carbajal L’26, Tarrah Casey L’26, Adriana Hernandez Ordonez L’25, and Elyanna Smith L’26 will meet biweekly with Laké Laosebikan Buggs, �þ���’s director of inclusive excellence for graduate and professional education, while participating in Student Bar Association meetings and acting as liaisons for their classmates. Student fellows elevate student perspectives, support inclusive programming and dialogue, and contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen belonging, equity, and engagement across the law school community.

“Our Inclusive Excellence Fellows play a vital role in helping Elon Law live our values every day,” Laosebikan-Buggs said. “Through their leadership, scholarship, and service, they strengthen our community and help ensure that students feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.”

These student fellows join Associate Professor of Law Chrystal Clodomir, who is continuing for a second year as the dean’s faculty fellow for inclusive excellence, in advancing inclusive �þ��� practices, in advancing inclusive �þ��� practices and supporting neurodivergent students.

During the 2024–25 academic year, Clodomir led a comprehensive study examining neurodivergent law students’ academic experiences through listening sessions, student surveys, and extensive legal research. The project engaged students, faculty, and student organizations in conversations about classroom practices, accessibility, and belonging, and led to the development of faculty resources.

In 2026, Clodomir will build on this foundation by developing accessible resources for students and educators, expanding her scholarship, and strengthening institutional practices that promote inclusive �þ��� and learning.

Carbajal will assist Clodomir in the research process this year.

“Professor Clodomir’s selection for a second year as Faculty Inclusive Excellence Fellow reflects both the impact of her work and the promise of what she continues to build at Elon Law,” said Laosebikan-Buggs. “Through her leadership in advancing inclusive excellence, neurodiversity, and student support, she has strengthened our academic community. Her work transforms moments that can feel vulnerable for students into pathways for empowerment, academic success, and professional confidence, and continues to move our community toward a truly inclusive culture.”

The 2025-2026 Elon Law Inclusive Excellence Fellows

Jsaela Barrow L’26

Hometown: Morehead City, North Carolina
Alma Mater and Major: Master of Public Health, Eastern Virginia Medical School; B.S. in Biology, Campbell University
Intended Practice Area: Health Law and Policy
Involvement and Leadership Roles: Elon Law Advocacy Fellow, Black Law �þ��� Association, and Society for Health Law & Bioethics

“As a Black woman entering a profession in which we represent only 4% of attorneys nationwide, I am deeply grateful to attend a law school that values not only my academic ability, but also my perspective. Being in this space, I know the importance of advocating not just for myself, but for others as well. As an Elon Law inclusive excellence fellow, I am committed to strengthening every law student’s sense of belonging, while actively advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within our law school community. Through leadership and advocacy, I strive to lead with purpose and help cultivate an environment where every student feels seen, heard, and genuinely supported.”

Jennifer Carbajal L’26

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina
Alma Mater and Major: B.A. in Political Science, Catawba College
Intended Practice Area: Immigration and Civil Rights Law
Involvement and Leadership Roles: Vice President of Hispanic and Latinx Law �þ��� Association; 2L representative in Honor Council; Professionalism and Social Chair of Immigration Law Society; Co-Chair of Community and Development for Student Mentors; Member of First Gen. Society

“I came into law school knowing that I wanted to advocate for others, and knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of the inclusive excellence fellows. I want to use my voice and my position to advocate for individuals who have concerns that may sometimes be overlooked. I hope that throughout my time in my position, I can leave behind a safe place for students to feel comfortable to advocate for themselves and have difficult conversations that need to be addressed in such tumultuous times.”

Tarrah Casey L’26

Hometown: Greenville, South Carolina
Alma Mater and Major: B.A. Philosophy, Coastal Carolina University
Intended Practice Area: Disability Law, Criminal Law, Special Education Law
Involvement: Honor Council Election Council Committee Co-Chair; student mentor; Elon Reaches Out committee member; Parents Attending Law School; Andrew G. Bennett Student Wellness Innovation Grant Recipient; Phi Alpha Delta;
Criminal Law Teaching Assistant

“My goal is to become the kind of lawyer who doesn’t just navigate the law, but helps transform it — creating pathways, expanding access, and making sure every person has the chance to be seen, heard, and valued. Law gives me the tools to transform lived experiences into policy solutions, to challenge structures that perpetuate inequity, and to ensure that dignity and opportunity are not privileges but rights. I’m pursuing this profession because I believe lawyers have a responsibility to stand in the gap: to speak when others cannot, to navigate complexity on behalf of those who shouldn’t have to, and to push institutions toward justice, compassion, and accountability.”

Adriana Hernandez Ordonez L’25

Hometown: Snow Hill, North Carolina
Alma Mater and Major: B.A. in Criminology & B.A. in Sociology, Eastern Connecticut State University
Intended Practice Area: Business Law & Real Estate
Involvement and Leadership Roles: President of Hispanic & Latinx Law Student Association; Academic Fellow; Elon Law Mentor; Moot Court Board

“As a first-generation Hispanic student, pursuing a legal education is both deeply personal and purpose-driven. Entering law school meant learning to navigate an unfamiliar environment while carrying the expectations and sacrifices of my family with me. At Elon Law, I found a community that affirmed my identity and encouraged me to lead with authenticity. As an inclusive excellence fellow, I hope to support students who may feel uncertain or marginalized by reminding them that their experiences are valuable and their voices matter. I am committed to advocating for equity within the legal profession and uplifting those whose perspectives are too often overlooked or misunderstood.”

Elyanna Smith L’26

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Alma Mater and Major: B.A. in Political Science, University of North Carolina, at Charlotte
Intended Practice Area: Civil and Criminal Litigation
Involvement and Leadership Roles: Professionalism Chair of the Hispanic/Latinx Law Student Association; member of the Criminal Law Society; Participant in Lawyers for Literacy program through the Pro Bono Board

“As an inclusive excellence fellow, I hope to make Elon Law a safe space for all. I have seen how access, representation, and inclusion can shape someone’s sense of belonging, and how the absence of those things can limit opportunities. I chose this role because I want to be part of the ongoing effort to ensure that the legal field evolves into one that welcomes and values everyone.”

About the Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence

Chrystal Clodomir is an associate professor of law at Elon Law’s Greensboro campus. Since 2021-22, she has taught courses in Legal Method & Communication, Education Law, Family Law and Secured Transactions. Prior to joining Elon, Clodomir graduated from Rutgers University and Cornell Law School and practiced law for over 15 years in a variety of practice areas including family law, education law and criminal prosecution.

A graduate of Rutgers University and Cornell University School of Law, Clodomir practiced criminal law in New York and education law in Delaware prior to moving to North Carolina in 2018 and originally joining the legal staff of the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina.

“I’m honored to continue this work as the dean’s faculty fellow for inclusive excellence,” Clodomir said. “Over the past year, listening to students and learning from their experiences has reinforced how important it is to build learning environments that recognize and support different ways of thinking and learning. This next phase of my work will focus on creating accessible resources, strengthening inclusive �þ��� practices, and helping ensure that every student has the tools and confidence to succeed in law school and in the legal profession.”

The talk focused on De La Soul’s landmark 1989 album, “Three Feet High and Rising,” a creative achievement built on dozens of samples that later became trapped in decades of legal limbo. Because the album’s sample clearances were negotiated for physical formats (and sometimes not at all), the transition to digital streaming brought new licensing hurdles, effectively keeping one of hip-hop’s most influential works unavailable to new audiences for years.

Armijo delivered the presentation for the , which brings guest artists and scholars to campus to explore creativity and its broader cultural impact. Graduate research assistant Kaytlyn Mullins L’25 played a key role in the presentation, curating the music clips, visuals and examples that illustrated Armijo’s lecture.

Using De La Soul’s experience as a throughline, Armijo examined how sampling fits uneasily within a copyright system designed around ownership by artists, record labels and publishers, and lengthy terms of protection. He illustrated those tensions with clips and references to artists including Lou Reed, A Tribe Called Quest, The Turtles, George Harrison, Madonna, N.W.A., Funkadelic, Taylor Swift, Biz Markie and Gilbert O’Sullivan.

At Elon Law, Armijo’s scholarship and �þ��� cover broad areas of the law, including the First Amendment, constitutional law, torts, administrative law, media and internet law, online disinformation, and international freedom of expression. He is also a Fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project and the UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Information, Technology and Public Life, and a Faculty Fellow with the George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics.

“I make people uncomfortable when I talk about homelessness. We don’t like to see things that challenge what we believe about ourselves, but we can’t fix what we refuse to face,” said Shereá Burnett L’13, executive director of . “Seeing people means hearing their stories, not deciding for them what they need.”

For more than an hour, Greensboro’s civic, faith and legal leaders fielded questions around housing insecurity, affordable housing and people experiencing homelessness at the second annual Law & the Prophets Symposium, “Neighboring in a Time of Need.” The symposium was co-hosted by �þ��� School of Law and Greensboro’s .

Burnett was joined in the panel discussion by:

• The Rev. Matt Bussell, associate pastor for outreach and mission at ;
• Andrea Harrell L’09, assistant city manager for the ;
• Zack Matheny, president of and outgoing member of the Greensboro City Council;
• Rosa Newman, assistant professor of law at Elon Law; and
• Vachel Pollard, a Greensboro resident who has experienced housing insecurity.

Their discussion was moderated by the Rev. Jeremy Benton, of West Market Street UMC, and Scott Leighty, Elon Law’s associate dean for development and alumni relations. The Rev. Otto Harris, senior pastor of West Market Street UMC, welcomed the audience, encouraging them to listen and think deeply around calls to be a better neighbor.

Newman, who teaches property and real estate law, framed housing as “a moral and legal obligation” intertwined with community well-being.

“When someone is paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing and utilities, that housing is no longer affordable,” Newman said, urging broader definitions that reflect real-world costs. “We have to think about who can afford to live here and what happens when they can’t.”

The theme of the evening was around what it means to be a neighbor, and where our rights, legal responsibilities and religious traditions intersect around that idea. Panelists described “neighbor” not as a matter of geography but as a moral relationship rooted in compassion and shared responsibility.

Bussell reflected on the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, noting that it began with a law student asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

“The person who is in need is our neighbor, but so is the person who offers help. Being a neighbor isn’t a legal term — it’s a moral one,” Bussell said. He added that genuine neighborliness takes effort and proximity. “We live in communities that are often divided by income, by race, by opportunity. It takes intentionality to break down those walls, to get to know the people we’ve been taught to see as the ‘other.’ When we do that, we begin to see one another as neighbors again.”

Harrell emphasized that lasting solutions require collaboration among city departments, nonprofits and faith partners. Matheny agreed, adding that “it takes creativity and partnership to get projects across the finish line” and highlighted recent collaborations between the city and local churches to create new affordable housing developments.

Pollard reflected on the everyday ways people can practice compassion. “Sometimes it’s just a smile or a wave — that doesn’t cost you anything,” he said. “Being neighborly means showing gratitude for being here together and walking beside someone when they need it.”

Audience members also heard testimony from a Greensboro resident experiencing homelessness for nearly nine years, whose story illuminated how bureaucratic definitions and funding restrictions can exclude people who need help most. Panelists responded to her story with offers to connect her directly with case workers and organizations to remove those barriers.

In closing, Dean Zak Kramer of Elon Law reminded attendees that the evening’s lessons only have meaning if they lead to tangible acts of empathy and neighborliness.

“It’s great to come to an event like this,” Kramer said, “but it only truly matters if you leave changed; if you do something differently tonight, tomorrow, and the next day.”

These are just a few of the reasons the “High Rhymes & Misdemeanors” Poetry Slam has become a highlight of the academic year at Elon Law in Greensboro and now Charlotte.

Across the two campuses, 11 students and five members of faculty and staff brought their perspectives on law and life to the microphone Oct. 23, 2025. The annual poetry slam is in its seventh year in downtown Greensboro and its first in Charlotte’s Flex Program (though the Queen City campus held its first contest in March for the inaugural cohort of Flex students).

Hosted by Elon Law’s Legal Method & Communication Program with support from �þ���’s Center for Writing Excellence, the annual poetry slam commemorates the established by the National Council of Teachers of English.

Sounding off in Greensboro

In Greensboro, seven students performed original works for a three-judge panel that included , Professor of Law Sue Liemer and former Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court Cheri Beasley, also Elon Law’s Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Professor of Law. It was the third time Thompson, who also hosts a syndicated podcast, has judged and participated in Elon Law’s competition, this year reciting “Dear You.”

Millennium Russell L’25 took the first place for “Best Interest,” about a friend’s ongoing, six-year child custody battle. A first-time participant, she entered to build confidence in her public speaking skills.

“I was torn between two poems, but everyone said this one was powerful, so I went with it,” Russell said. “All of the poems were wonderful, and everyone deserved recognition. It was also poetic that there were seven participants for the seventh year of the slam. I liked that symmetry.”

Lyrical voices in Charlotte

In Charlotte, four Flex students performed for judges Caroleen Dineen, associate professor of law and director of the Legal Method & Communication Program; and Dena King, partner with of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein. Ward returned for a second time to judge the Flex Program competition, performing his piece “Critical Blues Theory.”

Flex 2 student Nadia Mazza won for “When the Honeymoon Ends,” a sequel to her March-winning poem.

“I was truly inspired by the way our community came together — students, faculty and esteemed guests alike — to honor individuality, creativity, and growth,” Mazza said. “It was a privilege to experience such a uniquely vulnerable moment of connection.”

Student Awards – Greensboro

1st Place
“Best Interest”
Millennium Russell L’25

2nd Place
“The Oppression Olympics”
Savannah Stinson L’25

3rd Place (tie)
“Begin with Belief”
Julian Sizemore L’27

“Died Twice”
Marlaisha Vereen L’27

People’s Choice Award (Selected by Audience Vote)
“Died Twice”
Marlaisha Vereen L’27

Student Awards – Charlotte

1st Place
“When the Honeymoon Ends”
Nadia Mazza, Flex 2 student

2nd Place (tie)
“Your Honor, est. 2025”
Somer Dice, Flex 1 student

“Imposter Thoughts”
Kayla Price, Flex 2 student

3rd Place
“Little Bird”
Jack Randolph, Flex 2 student

Staff Performances

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Cheri Beasley, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Professor at Elon Law

“A New Beginning”
Emma Butterworth, Staff Director of the Flex Program

“1:37”
Kris Caudle, Assistant Professor of Law

“Flex 2”
Aimee Durant, Assistant Professor of Law

Janet Keefer, Adjunct Professor of Law

From fellow judges to retired congressional leaders, the theme that ran through every tribute: In courtrooms, classrooms and for communities across North Carolina, Beasley has turned principle into practice and invited others with her.

“When the world says no — to fairness, to opportunity, to progress — she says yes,” said Zak Kramer, dean of Elon Law, in introducing Beasley. “She didn’t wait for a path to appear; she carved one with excellence and perseverance. That’s what the N.C. Supreme Court Historical Society honors tonight. Not only the titles and the milestones, but the ‘yes’ that made them possible.”

Speakers at the N.C. Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual meeting Oct. 20 in Raleigh traced Beasley’s journey from public defender in Fayetteville to N.C. District Court judge, to the N.C. Court of Appeals, and then the N.C. Supreme Court. In 2019, she became the first African American woman to serve as the state’s chief justice. They highlighted her leadership through natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a period of heightened racial tension — moments she met with decisiveness, empathy and a vision for modernizing the courts for access and efficiency. Today, virtual hearings and electronic access are hallmarks of the system she helped shape.

“We have the privilege of calling her Professor Beasley, and our students have the even greater privilege of calling her mentor. They see in her what we all see: someone who opens doors. Opening doors is an act of kindness, and our students are its beneficiaries.” 
– Zak Kramer, dean of Elon Law

Justice Sam J. Ervin IV of the N.C. Supreme Court called Beasley “one of the best people I have ever known,” describing her stabilizing presence on and off the bench, and her extraordinary gifts as a jurist and writer whose legal opinions “sing.”

“As Chief Justice, she kept the system functioning when that was extraordinarily hard, and she had the courage to address racial disparities when many would look away. … She will be remembered as a consequential figure in our state’s legal history.”

Patricia Timmons-Goodson, retired justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, reflected on Beasley’s decades of mentorship and barrier-breaking.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” she said. “Chief Justice Beasley has given much, opening possibilities for young people who could not yet imagine them, and modeling the passion and integrity our justice system demands.”

G.K. Butterfield, who represented North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2004 to 2022 and previously served as a state Supreme Court justice and superior court judge, praised Beasley for modernizing the courts through technology and expanding specialty and treatment courts that make the justice system more efficient, equitable and responsive to community needs.

From inside the chief justice’s chambers, former Chief of Staff and General Counsel Anna Stearns described Beasley’s leadership as a model for other jurists to uphold their oaths without fear or favor, and her belief that “the courts can be an engine of good and that we have a duty to make it so.”

Beasley, who teaches appellate practice, professional responsibility and negotiations at Elon Law, has quickly become a trusted mentor and colleague.

“The work of justice is not a destination,” Beasley said. “It requires all of us — judges, lawyers, staff, law enforcement — to remain vigilant, compassionate and courageous. To the young people here — whether you’re first-generation students or aspiring lawyers: You are talented and capable. You can do anything.”

– Cheri Beasley, former Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court and Sandra Day O’Connor Professor

“We have the privilege of calling her Professor Beasley, and our students have the even greater privilege of calling her mentor,” Kramer said. “They see in her what we all see: someone who opens doors. Opening doors is an act of kindness, and our students are its beneficiaries.”

Beasley closed the evening by thanking colleagues, her family and the society for the honor, emphasizing shared responsibility for the rule of law and calling on young lawyers and leaders to take up that charge: to say yes.

“The work of justice is not a destination,” Beasley said. “It requires all of us — judges, lawyers, staff, law enforcement — to remain vigilant, compassionate and courageous. To the young people here — whether you’re first-generation students or aspiring lawyers: You are talented and capable. You can do anything. I am grateful for the privilege to serve the people of North Carolina, grateful for where I’ve been, and hopeful for where we are going together.”

Assistant Professor of Law Rosa Newman, whose scholarship focuses on housing and economic development law, was named chair of the American Bar Assocation’s Real Property, Trusts, and Estates (RPTE) Section Legal Education Committee on Sept. 1. In the role, Newman helps guide the section’s efforts to strengthen �þ��� and scholarship in property, trusts and estate law. The RPTE Section is one of the ABA’s largest professional communities, connecting lawyers, academics, and policy experts who advance best practices in areas affecting real property, housing, land use and wealth transfer. Newman previously served as the committee’s vice chair.

Additionally, Newman recently joined as a contributing editor. She will highlight and review notable new scholarship in property law. The online publication features leading academics offering accessible insights into important developments in their fields, connecting practitioners, teachers and students to innovative legal research.

“I see my work with RPTE and Property JOTWELL as part of a larger effort to connect ideas to impact – elevating the kind of scholarship and dialogue that make property law more equitable, relevant, and responsive to how people actually live and build community,” Newman said.

Newman will also lend her scholarly expertise this fall to a symposium around housing insecurity. will examine housing insecurity in the Greensboro area from civic, legal and religious perspectives. The symposium is Nov. 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of West Market Street United Methodist Church, at 302 W. Market Street in Greensboro, co-hosted by the church and Elon Law.

Newman joined the Elon Law faculty in 2022 after concluding her service as a Louis Westerfield Fellow at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Her legal research and �þ��� are focused primarily on property, land use, and business transactional law, with additional interest in affordable housing development.

Newman continues her service to the statewide legal community on the Trusts Drafting Committee of the North Carolina General Statutes Commission, which studies and recommends updates to the state’s trust laws to ensure clarity, consistency, and modernization.

Newman previously worked in the commercial real estate development field for several firms both in her hometown of Miami and in Charlotte, specializing in multilayered financing for mixed-income, multifamily housing developments in four states. She also has experience working for a Florida elder care law firm where she handled wills, trusts and estate matters.

She claimed her termination, for posts made before she was hired, violated the First Amendment’s protection of free speech.

Her daughter, a student at the same school, protested her mother’s dismissal by wearing a “MAGA – Make America Great Again” t-shirt that also enumerated conservative political and religious beliefs. When administrators barred her from wearing the shirt under the school’s dress code, she too alleged a violation of her free-speech rights.

In this fictional appeals case — the constitutional question at the heart of the 16th annual Billings, Exum, and Frye National Moot Court Competition at �þ��� School of Law — the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to decide whether Mount Pilot Public Schools lawfully acted to prevent disruption within its classrooms or whether it impermissibly censored political expression protected by the First Amendment.

At the end of the two-day competition, Emily Conway and Mohsin Minhas of Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School at Yeshivia University, bested 41 other teams from 25 universities across the U.S. to claim the Chief Justices’ Cup. They edged out Courtney Yamagiwa and Stephanie Timofeyeva of University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in the final round judged by four of North Carolina’s top jurists.

Minhas also took home the Best Oral Advocate Award for the final round. He and Conway will receive a replica of Elon Law’s Chief Justices Cup and have their school’s name engraved on a permanent trophy that resides at Elon Law. Each individual member of their team also received a plaque. Second-year law students, this was Minhas’ and Conway’s first time competing as members of Cardozo Law’s moot court team and both credited their coaches and teammates with helping them prepare.

The competition problem was inspired by recent First Amendment cases in several federal circuits and written by Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief, who also directs Elon Law’s Moot Court program. Madison Gilbert L’25 composed the bench brief provided to more than 100 judges who heard arguments during the annual competition held Oct. 17-18 at Elon Law.

“We are honored that so many exceptional teams chose to compete here this year and were humbled by the number of positive comments from coaches and competitors,” Woodlief said. “I am proud of the exceptional leadership the Moot Court Board displayed in coordinating this year’s competition, and I am thankful for all the students, alumni, faculty and staff who contributed to its success.”

Reflections from the Winning Team

“The problem itself was very interesting and relevant. We really enjoyed talking it through and thinking of all the legal and policy questions it raised. All the research, writing and debate the competition allowed us to engage in will remain with me for my legal career. The organizers made us feel welcome from the start, and the judges asked some very stimulating questions and provided helpful feedback.” — Mohsin Minhas, Class of 2027, Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School at Yeshivia University

“What I loved most about this competition was the challenging and timely nature of the problem. The issues we grappled with were both legally complex and academically engaging. The judges’ questions, especially in the semi-finals and finals, were rigorous and nuanced, pushing us to think critically under pressure. … Overall, competing in Elon’s Billings, Exum, and Frye competition has been the most rewarding aspect of law school.” — Emily Conway, Class of 2027, Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School at Yeshivia University

Final Round Judges

The Hon. Catherine C. Eagles
Chief District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

The Hon. Patrick Auld
Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

The Hon. April C. Wood
Associate Judge, N.C. Court of Appeals

The Hon. Cheri Beasley (retired)
Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Elon Law’s Sandra Day O’Connor Professor of Law

Semifinal Round Judges

The Hon. Ralph Walker (retired)
Former N.C. Superior Court Judge and N.C. Court of Appeals Judge, and Director of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts

The Hon. Lindsay Davis (retired)
Former N.C. Superior Court Judge

The Hon. Richard Doughton (retired)
Former N.C. Superior Court Judge

The Hon. James Gale (retired)
Former Chief Judge of the N.C. Business Court, located at Elon Law

The Hon. Lisa Johnson-Tonkins
N.C. District Court Judge

Greg Schwitzgebel (retired)
Past chair of the N.C. Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section and professor at Campbell University and East Carolina University

Patricia Perkins
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Elon Law

Enrique Armijo
Professor of Law, Elon Law

Elon Law Moot Court Board Committee Co-Chairs for the 16th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition

Overall Competition Chairs: Rebecca Bailey L’25, Catherine Lohn L’25 and Adriana Hernandez Ordonez L’25

Judge Committee Chairs: Landon Eckard L’25, Lillie Kieken L’25 and Sarah Ruffin L’25

Bailiff Committee Chairs: Cameron Riordan L’25, Taylor Rockwood L’25 and Anderson Rowe L’25

Scoring Committee Chairs: Kelsey Greene L’25, Marcella McIntyre L’25 and Karrington Wallace L’25

Hospitality Committee Chairs: Ashley Clayton L’25, Alexis Croce L’25, Saniya Pangare L’25 and Hanna Riley L’25

Those distinctions can determine who has access to legal counsel, when warrants are required, and what remedies exist when rights are violated.

That complex divide was the focus of a panel discussion hosted by We The People: Elon Law’s Constitutional Law Journal on Oct. 7, 2025. “Unlawful or Unprotected? 4th Amendment Rights in Criminal vs. Immigration Detention” attracted a standing-room-only crowd to Room 204 at Elon Law’s downtown Greensboro campus, with discussion and response to audience questions lasting more than an hour and a half.

Panelists Cheri Beasley, Sandra Day O’Connor Professor at Elon Law and former chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, Erin Fitzgerald, assistant professor of law and a former prosecutor, and Jeremy McKinney, a renowned immigration attorney, explored variability in Constitutional protections and how those safeguards operate in practice. Their discussion was moderated by Professor of Law David Levine.

“Courts are grappling in real time with evolving issues,” Beasley said, noting a trend of brief orders and rulings from higher courts clouding how lower courts should respond. “Appellate courts sometimes use brief or per curiam dispositions. When major questions are resolved on abbreviated orders, the U.S. Supreme Court’s so-called ‘shadow docket,’ the lack of reasoning can disserve the public and the bar” through lack of legal guidance.

Fitzgerald explained that searches and arrests generally require a warrant supported by probable cause, except in limited, well-defined circumstances such as emergencies or brief investigative stops. Lesser encounters — like brief detentions or frisks — require only reasonable suspicion that criminal activity is afoot.

“In the simplest terms, the Fourth Amendment protects people and their ‘persons, houses, papers, and effects’ from unreasonable governmental searches and seizures,” Fitzgerald says. “We care because we all have boundaries — our phones, cars, homes. … Knowing these standards is how we protect our rights.”

McKinney described how the same standards don’t necessarily apply in immigration matters, where proceedings are considered civil. People questioned or detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have a right to remain silent, may refuse entry to their homes without a judicial warrant, and can ask to speak with an attorney — but those rights are grounded in statute, not constitutional law. Because immigration cases are civil, the exclusionary rule that suppresses illegally obtained evidence in criminal court rarely applies.

Beasley expanded on the practical challenges this creates for courts and communities, noting that individuals are sometimes held in local jails at federal request and that many detention centers are privately operated, complicating oversight and access to due process.

“Detention usually implies criminal punishment, but immigration detention is labeled civil, and that fluidity raises due process concerns: Who may be held, where, under what conditions, and with what rights?” Beasley said. Despite these complexities, she said, lawyers and judges play a crucial role in upholding fairness, transparency, and public confidence in the legal system.

McKinney detailed a recent case where an immigrant was mistaken for someone on a watch list with the same name. He was detained and interrogated without a judicial warrant and held at a facility in Georgia, though McKinney said it was clear his client wasn’t the individual the government was looking for. The client posted bond, but ICE invoked an “automatic stay.” McKinney freed his client through a writ of habeus corpus — challenging the lawfulness of government detention — but hiring an attorney to take that step is cost prohibitive for many.

He cautioned that knowing your rights may not matter as much in the current climate if those “feel ignored on the ground.”

“The government can’t have it both ways — calling people ‘criminals’ while denying criminal-procedure protections in what it labels as civil proceedings,” McKinney said.

Panelists closed by urging future lawyers to understand these boundaries, help clients know their rights, and uphold justice in every setting — criminal, civil or otherwise.

“Lawyers and courts are pushing back and upholding the rule of law,” Beasley said, noting why she is encouraged during a challenging moment for democracy. “The pendulum swings, but advocacy, �þ��� and judging move the needle. To our students: It’s a good time to be a lawyer. Your work changes lives and strengthens institutions.”