Two students from the University of California, Davis, School of Law recently won the 1991-92 Saul Lefkowitz National Moot Court Competition, finishing on top of a field of 39 schools. Second-year students Marc M. Gorelnik and John C. Baum won the competition in Washington, D.C. The $500 prize money is being used to create a moot court fund at the UC Davis law school to support students in future competitions. Trademark law was the subject of the competition. The case before the competitors involved a plaintiff who had manufactured a maple leaf-shaped watch with a green face. Contestants had to argue whether the color green and the maple leaf shape could be considered a trademark with respect to the watches. Among the schools represented in the March 28 competition were Harvard University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Emory University, UC Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin. Ellen Jordan, dean of the UC Davis law school, said, "No better statement can be made about the quality of a UC Davis law education than an achievement such as this. We are very proud of John and Marc." Using their own money, Gorelnik and Baum entered the western regional competition in San Francisco, where they placed first among nine teams. UC Davis law school alumnus Dave Jackson, general counsel for The Gap Inc., contributed $1,000 toward their expenses for the national competition. The judging was based on briefs and oral arguments, which included questions from the judges. The judges represented some of the nation's leading jurists on trademark law, including federal judges and officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. "We're fortunate to attend a law school with the flexibility to allow us to grab this challenge -more- 2-2-2 Moot Court and run with it," Gorelnik said. "We didn't find ourselves faced with administrative obstacles, something that probably wouldn't have happened at other schools. And we could approach faculty on an individual basis to ask them to help us out." Baum was impressed with the caliber of the judges for the competition. "A practicing attorney doesn't meet that range of people on one bench ever, let alone have them critique you afterward. These are people who not only apply trademark law, but make it." Gorelnik earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from UC Santa Barbara and worked as a project engineer and manager for Hughes Aircraft Co. before enrolling at UC Davis. Baum received a bachelor's degree in art history from Sarah Lawrence College and a master's degree in art history from the University of Chicago. He also completed course work for his doctoral degree in art history at the University of Chicago, and worked as an exhibition coordinator and curator at the university's rare book and manuscript department. UC Davis law professor Leslie Kurtz sponsored the team, while other faculty members, students and practicing lawyers helped judge practice rounds.