Chapman’s annual Rutan & Tucker 1L Golden Gavel Competition began with over 170 Legal Research and Writing students arguing a brief that they drafted answering whether Transgendered Individuals were protection under Title VII against discrimination “because of sex,” and if the Defendant employer in an imaginary fact pattern had legitimate reasons to terminate the transgender Plaintiff.

Dallis Pflueger-Cavallaro, Jonathan Cayton, Stephanie Lincoln, and Sara Zimmerman all made it to the final round and  received invitations to join the Moot Court Honor Board.  The finalists argued one more time for Jeffrey Wertheimer, General Counsel at Orange County Superior Court; Judge Jamoa Moberly, Superior Court Judge;  and Judge David Carter, Federal District Court Judge.

The two winners are Dallis Pflueger-Cavallaro and Jonathan Cayton, who will be presented with awards and $500 scholarships during the Fall Awards Ceremony, thanks to the generosity of Rutan & Tucker.

From Left  to Right is: Jeffrey Wertheimer, Defendant’s advocate Jonathan Cayton, Plaintiff’s advocate Dallis Pflueger-Cavallaro, Judge Jamoa Moberly, Dean Campbell, and Judge David Carter.