Former Judges of the Martin P. Burks Moot Court Competition

1952-1953

• Professor Charles P. Light, Jr., Washington and Lee University School of Law
• Professor Charles V. Laughlin, Washington and Lee University School of Law
• Dean Clayton E. Williams, Washington and Lee University School of Law

1965-1966

• The Honorable Harry L. Carrico, Justice for the Virgina Supreme Court

1966-1967

• The Honorable Theodore R. Dalton, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia 
• The Honorable Richard T. Edwards, '33, '35L, Judge for the Hustings Court, Roanoke, Virginia

1967-1968

1968-1969

• The Honorable John D. Butzner, Jr., United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable James B. Craven, Jr., United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr., United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Judge Haynsworth presided over the Burks Competition in the spring of 1969, a few months before President Nixon nominated him to the Supreme Court.

1969-1970

• The Honorable J. DeWeese Carter, Chief Judge for the Second Judicial Circuit of Maryland
• The Honorable Theodore R. Dalton, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia
• The Honorable H. Emory Widener, Jr., ’53L, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia  

1970-1971

• The Honorable George M. Cochran, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable Alexander M. Harman, Jr., ’44, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable Harold F. Snead, Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia

1971-1972

• Mr. Martin P. Burks III, ’32L, Attorney, Editor of Burks Pleading and Practice
• Mr. Ross L. Malone, ‘30 ’32L, Vice President and General Counsel for General Motors, Former President of the American Bar Association
• Mr. Fred M. Vinson, Jr., '48, '51L, Assistant United States Attorney General

1972-1973

• The Honorable Norman C. Roettger, Jr., '58L, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida
• The Honorable Patrick D. Sullivan, '56, '58L, Judge for the Court of Appeals of Indiana
• The Honorable James C. Turk, '52L, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia

1973-1974

• The Honorable George M. Cochran, Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable Alexander M. Harman, Jr., '44L, Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable Lawrence W. I’Anson, Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia

1974-1975

• The Honorable Harold Leventhal, United States Circuit Judge for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Carl E. McGowan, United States Circuit Judge for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

1975-1976

• The Honorable John A. Field, Jr., United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals 
• The Honorable Donald S. Russell, United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable H. Emory Widener, Jr., '53L, United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

1976-1977

• The Honorable John A. Field, Jr., United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals 
• The Honorable Donald S. Russell, United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable H. Emory Widener, Jr., '53L, United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

1977-1978

• The Honorable Harry L. Carrico, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable A. Christian Compton, '50, '53L, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable Alex M. Harman, Jr., '43L, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia

1978-1979

• The Honorable Sherman G. Finesilver, United States District Judge for the District of Colorado
• The Honorable Robert R. Mehrige, Jr., United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia
• The Honorable James C. Turk, '52L, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia

1979-1980

• The Honorable Norman C. Roettger, Jr., '58L, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida 
• The Honorable John M. Shaw, United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana
• The Honorable John Minor Wisdom, '25, United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

1980-1981

• The Honorable Cornelia G. Kennedy, United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Pierce Lively, United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals 
• The Honorable Harry W. Wellford, '47, United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee

Judges Kennedy (left), Lively (center), and Wellford (right), hear Deborah Combs' winning argument in the '81 Burks Finals.

1981-1982

• The Honorable Charles L. Brieant, United District Court for the Southern District of New York
• The Honorable Lawrence W. Pierce, United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Ellsworth A. Vangraafeiland, United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals

1982-1983

• The Honorable Thomas A. Clark, 42, United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable James C. Hill, United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Gerald B. Tjoflat, United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

1983-1984

• The Honorable Walter V. Schaefer, Justice for the Supreme Court of Illinois
• The Honorable Kenneth W. Starr, United States Circuit Judge for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Harry W. Wellford, '47, United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

1984-1985

• The Honorable Charles W. Joiner, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan
• The Honorable Norman P. Ramsey, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Maryland  
• The Honorable Mary Walters, Justice for the Supreme Court of New Mexico

1985-1986

• The Honorable John Charles Thomas, Justice for the Supreme Court of Virginia
• The Honorable James C. Turk, '52L, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia
• The Honorable Solomon Wachtler, '51, '52L, Chief Judge for the New York Court of Appeals

1986-1987

• The Honorable Robert R. Beezer, United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Sam J. Ervin III, United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Howard B. Wiener, Justice for the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District

1987-1988

• The Honorable Lewis F. Powell, Jr., '29, '31L, Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of the United States
• The Honorable Deanell R. Tacha, United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable James C. Turk, '52L, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia

Dean Kirgis (left) poses with Justice Powell (center bottom), Judge Turk (center top), and Judge Tacha (right) after the 1988 Burks Finals.

1988-1989

• The Honorable John C. Harrison, Justice for the Supreme Court of Montana
• The Honorable Procter R. Hug, Jr., United States District Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Barron P. McCune, United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania