Application Components
- Page 1: A Cover Page to include the original Letter of Intent listing all team members
- Page 2: One-pager (single-space talking/bullet points) for the Petitioner arguments supporting (“for”) the debate issue – see below.
- Page 3: One-pager (single-space talking/bullet points) for the Respondent's arguments opposing (“against") the debate issue – see below.
- Page 4: References page: Provide a list of at least 15 references supporting all the talking points listed in pages 2 and 3.
Submission Formatting: Font (Arial 11); Spacing (single); Margins (1 inch; justified)
Topic and Background
Supreme Court to decide whether to restrict abortion drug nationwide.
Description of Project and Topic
Submission Topic:
Whether or not the Supreme Court should/ should not ban the drug (mifepristone) nationwide?”
Petitioner: The Supreme Court should ban the drug (mifepristone) nationwide.
Respondent: The Supreme Court should not ban the drug (mifepristone) nationwide.
Considerations for Participants & Faculty-Advisors in this Debate
The issue identified for this 2024 Mock-Trial Competition should be addressed and debated only from a scientific perspective (i.e. not from a political perspective or philosophical perspective on abortion itself). The debate for 2024 should steer away from the Pros and Cons of abortion per se as a policy or practice. Rather the issue to address and debate is whether the US Supreme Court, or any court should assume a role in decision-making about an area of science (drug research and scientific evidence) beyond any court’s expertise and which the law ordinarily restricts to the realm of “experts.”
The focus of this 2024 debate is the scientific evidence on which FDA approval was based (~ 20 years ago). The case currently before the Supreme Court (this term) alleges among other things that there was insufficient scientific evidence for the FDA to approve mifepristone for emergency contraception. This allegation challenges the FDA’s drug approval process and authority, an authority granted by Congress, and which authority also includes the requirement of scientific experts and scientific evidence as the basis on which a proposed drug is granted FDA approval to be on the market. One counterargument is that judges lack the scientific education, experience and therefore the “expertise” required to evaluate a drug, drug study, or even an FDA drug application.
Students should read the appeal to the US Supreme Court to evaluate what exactly the Court is being asked to decide in considering the request to “ban” mifepristone nationwide.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. HST