The Honorable John R. Brown served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit as one of the nation’s most prominent admiralty judges from 1955 until his death in 1993. Shortly after his death and in his honor, The University of Texas School of Law established the “Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition,” an interscholastic appellate advocacy competition. Each year, the Competition is held under the joint sponsorship of The University of Texas School of Law and a local host. In 2026, the local host will be Charleston Law School.
Major funding each year is provided by the Houston law firm of Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams L.L.P. (where Judge Brown practiced from 1932 to 1955), the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and members of the maritime bar.
Each year, we are privileged to have distinguished judges serve as judges for the Championship Round. For the semi-final rounds, our judges are prominent members of the maritime bar, including presidents, past presidents, and other officers of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and admiralty professors.
Registration for the 33rd Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition will open on September 15, 2025, and remain open until the field is full. (Last year, we hit the limit a month after registration opened.) We look forward to hosting 32 teams in Charleston, SC. The tournament will run from March 19-21, 2026. Please direct all questions to the competition director at judgejohnrbrowntournament@gmail.com.
Important Links:
- 2026 Registration Form
- 2026 JJRBAMCC Important Dates
- 2026 JJRBAMCC Rules (w/appendix)
- 2026 Competition Problem (available to registered teams December 2nd, 2025 ).
To review past problems, click here.