Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Dear Delegates,

In other parts of the conference, delegates will be debating what is most efficient, most prudent and most beneficial for the country and its citizens.  But here in the Supreme Court, you will have a simple concern: to determine what is constitutional and what is just.  Because the other branches of government so efficiently and powerfully channel the will of the people, the fear that popular opinion could trample the rights of the minority is a real one.

In the United States, all that stands between a just society and one ruled by the tyranny of the majority is the Supreme Court of the United States.  Because in our country, we have long held to a peculiar notion: there are some things that even the government cannot do and some laws that are invalid no matter how many duly elected officials consent to its passage.

From this fundamental assertion about the limitations of state authority flows all of the intricacies of constitutional jurisprudence that we will take up.  What are the boundaries of congress’s power in enacting legislation?  How “equal” must “equal protection” be—and to whom does it apply?  How far can a president go in bending the constitution during wartime? How should violations of the bill of rights be rectified—and by whom?

These are just some of the questions that we will be dealing with in a few months, but the larger question of governance that the Supreme Court as an institution answers is this: how can a country be governed by the will of the people and yet protect the people from the excesses of popular opinion?  In a world ruled by the many, who draws the line to uphold the rights of the few?

That job, at least at Harvard Model Congress, falls to you.

Because the job of the court is so important and the questions they tackle so very difficult, it is essential that you are very well prepared for your role.  Of all the committees at HMC, the Supreme Court is by far the most demanding.  It requires extensive preparation, logical reasoning and oral presentation ability.  Your arguments will require you to integrate centuries of judicial precedent, combine the words of long-dead justices with your own and present it all in a way that is relevant and compelling to a judging panel of your peers.

To put it more practically, you will be required to stand in front of your friends and speak for 20 minutes while being bombarded with questions regarding the minutiae of constitutional law.  Please, put in the time required for preparation.

If you have any questions while preparing for the conference, please contact one of us.  To aid you in the process of getting to know us, allow us to introduce ourselves.

Evan O'Brien is a senior concentrating in history with a minor in philosophy.  In his spare time, he reads, plays Frisbee, plays and listens to Bach, and watches baseball.  His favorite Justice is Hugo Black.  He looks forward to participating in the Supreme Court again this year.

Matthew Sundquist is a senior concentrating in philosophy and hoping to attain his teacher's certification while at Harvard.  When not participating in Harvard Model Congress Boston, Europe, or San Francisco, he enjoys playing IM sports and Super Smash Brothers on Nintendo 64.  He is involved with student government at Harvard, and could be referred to as a nerd.  Some of his favorite legal precedents are those established in the New York Times v. United States and Lochner v. New York.  This is his fourth year in Boston as a Justice.

Joseph Peter Resnek is a sophomore government concentrator from the great commonwealth of Massachusetts. At Harvard, he studies political theory and American government. Also a member of Harvard's Mock Trial team, Joe enjoys any activity that involves fake cases, imaginary people, or improbable scenarios involving complex law. A Justice for both Asia and Boston conferences for the past year, Joe especially likes Supreme Court debates. He looks forward to hearing—and critiquing—arguments on many different complex issues this year.

Sanjey Sivanesan is a junior economics concentrator who hopes to learn more about the interplay of global health and economics while at Harvard.  He is originally from Orlando, Florida, and he's terribly excited about the sub-zero wind chill of Cambridge. He is also a captain of one of Harvard Mock Trial's Teams, where he delivers closing statements for the defense. When back in more bearable climates, he can be found out on the links, losing many a Callaway. This is Sanjey's second year as a Supreme Court Justice, and he couldn't be more excited to instill his love for justice in every single student he meets at HMC Boston.

John James (most people call him JJ) Snidow is a senior economics concentrator hailing from Eastern Kentucky.  At Harvard he has served as co-captain of the Harvard Mock Trial Association where he spends far too much of his time thinking up ways to win fake cases.  While not at Harvard, he slips back into his Appalachian ways and enjoys fly-fishing, camping and generally running around rural mountain hollows.

Please contact us if you need anything at all before the conference; we are all eager to meet you all in February.

Sincerely,

Matt Sundquist
sundquis@fas.harvard.edu

Sanjey Sivanesan
sivanes2@fas.harvard.edu

Joe Resnek
resnek@fas.harvard.edu

J Snidow
snidow@fas.harvard.edu

Evan O’Brien
eobrien@fas.harvard.edu

District Court

Dear District Court Delegates,

Welcome to District Court!  During the conference you’ll have the opportunity to try cases as an attorney, deliver testimony as a witness, and weigh the facts presented to you as a juror.  District Court will teach you about the law, polish your presentation skills and without a doubt, be an experience you won’t forget!  We can’t wait to meet you, but in the meantime here’s a little bit about who we are.

Rachel Endick is a sophomore in Currier House concentrating in government.  This is her second HMC Conference, and this year she is the HMC Europe District Court Senior Staffer.  In addition to HMC, Rachel is a member of the Harvard Mock Trial Team in which she plays both an attorney and a witness.  She also serves as the Training Director for the team, so she is excited to answer any questions you may have!

Aaron Frazier is a junior in Cabot House studying philosophy. He served as a jurist for District Court during last year's conference and eagerly awaits his “second term” at this year's conference. He also serves as a judge for Rochester Teen Court, a special division of the City Court in his hometown of Rochester, New York. The Teen Court  functions as an alternative sentencing trial court for juvenile offenders; the offices of the court are occupied by youth who are trained and supervised by adult legal professionals. Prior to his teen court judgeship, he served both as a prosecutor and as a defender for the court. He welcomes you to District Court and encourages you to feel free to ask him any questions you may have about college, philosophy, teen courts, trial strategy and presentation, and the law.

Monica Mleczko is a junior in Eliot House concentrating in history, with a focus on intellectual history. She enjoys books (Eugenides), movies (The Lion King), and long walks on the beach. Her love to law, trials, arguing, and reasoning lead her to the District Court. She has also found a comfortable home with the Harvard Mock Trial Team. She has fun rocking out to Indian music while performing Garba and Raas on Harvard’s Garba-Raas Dance Team (think many swirling colors and sticks!). She looks forward to being in court on the other side of the council table, acting the judge.

Again, we’re very excited to start working with you to make the District Court experience great, and a big part of this will be your preparation before the conference. So, we hope you’ll spend the upcoming months preparing your arguments and testimony and developing creative case theories. We definitely encourage you to contact us with any questions you have about the cases or District Court in general. Good luck, and we cannot wait to meet you!

Sincerely,

Rachel Endick
rendick@fas.harvard.edu

Aaron Frazier
afrazier@fas.harvard.edu

Monica Mleczko
mleczko@fas.harvard.edu

Committee Assignments

HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS 2009

Pre-Conference Written Assignment

Before the conference, the members of the Supreme Court are expected to:

• Read court cases and updates.
• Prepare a list of 10 questions they would ask as an associate justice for each case.
• Prepare oral arguments for both sides of all THREE cases.
• Think about the constitutionality of each case and the past precedents that have been set that are associated with the case.

Committee Assignments

HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS 2009

Pre-Conference Written Assignment

Before the conference, members of the District Court are expected to:

• Carefully read the court cases and any updates.
• Confer with their team and come up with a cohesive and strong case theory or reasoning.
• Anticipate possible counterarguments.
• Write opening and closing statements.
• Practice objections.

The District Court docket for HMC 2009 will be released shortly. In the meantime, delegates should familiarize themselves with the District Court Guide and read through each of the six cases.