August 11, 2025

SVSU students compete in prestigious global moot court competition

Young man and young woman in dark suits sit at a table with a placard reading Saginaw Valley State University

Saginaw Valley State University students Payton Stemmerich and Jason Hoang were named global finalists at the 17th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, held July 14-18 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The event brought together the top 24 university moot court teams from around the world.

The SVSU team was the only group from the United States to reach the global finals this year. In Geneva, they competed against teams from Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other countries. Competitors delivered their oral arguments before international human rights experts and judges.

Stemmerich, a Spanish major from Clinton Township, and Hoang, a political science major from Saginaw, began preparing for the competition in January. The pair first submitted written legal briefs on a hypothetical human rights case, ranking second in their region and among the top 50 teams worldwide to reach the final rounds. They then advanced through virtual oral arguments in May, placing 15th and qualifying for the in-person finals.

The team finished the competition with an average rating of 82 out of 100 in the preliminary rounds, placing in the upper half of the global finalists. Stemmerich and Hoang are the first SVSU students to qualify for the final rounds in Geneva.

“This is an awesome accomplishment for Payton and Jason,” said Kevin G. Lorentz II, assistant professor of political science and one of the duo’s moot court coaches. “They have put in an incredible amount of time and effort, and this accomplishment is based on their own initiative, acumen and tenacity. It is just another example of how Cardinals stand out nationally and now globally.

“Payton and Jason performed brilliantly against stiff competition,” he added. “I can honestly say that they gave some of their best moot court performances against really talented teams from across the globe.”

Lorentz advises SVSU’s moot court program alongside Amy Hendrickson, associate professor law.

During the 2024-2025 moot court season, Hoang and Stemmerich competed with other partners but were paired together when they expressed a desire to enter the Mandela competition.

“It was an honor just to qualify for the preliminary rounds considering we were competing against law school students, but advancing to the finals was astounding,” Stemmerich said. “We truly could not have done it without our coaches, who have built an amazing program that has allowed me to work on my legal advocacy skills since day one at SVSU.”

Hoang added, “I am honored to be part of a competition that highlights the importance of human rights while working on my legal skills. I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent our university with such strong support from our coaches and community.”

The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is organized by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, in partnership with the United Nations Human Rights Council Branch alongside other global organizations.

SVSU’s moot court program, established in 2010, is currently ranked fourth in the nation. The program has continued to earn recognition at the national and international levels.

For more information about the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, visit https://www.chr.up.ac.za/worldmoot.