History 
The Competition is named in honor of Hugh Bryan Pearce born September 8, 1954. Mr. Pearce entered Widener University School of Law in August 1987 and was a member of the graduating class of 1990. Hugh pursued his legal studies in the day division carrying a full complement of credits each semester while maintaining his position as a helicopter pilot with the Delaware National Guard. On June 17, 1989, while on maneuvers with the National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer Two Pearce tragically met his death in a helicopter crash. In preserving Hugh's memory, the School of Law has established the Hugh B. Pearce Memorial Fund that supports an annual trial advocacy competition. The focus of the competition is to enable students to develop intelligent and creative advocacy skills while remaining courteous and respectful to their colleagues and opponents. The competition operates concurrently on both campuses with the Final Round pairing the finalists from the Delaware campus against the finalists from the Harrisburg campus.
2010 Competition Information
Recent Winners
- 2009: Miranda Blazek and Amir Raminpour
- 2008: John Toresco and Steve Kwon
- 2007: Dante Bradley and John Cirrinicione
- 2006: Kent Mancini and Geoffrey Sasso
- 2005: Emily Cantile and Lisa Klein
- 2004: Joshua Ferguson and Joseph Guillama
- 2003: Dominick Muracco and Thomas Leslie
- 2002: Ronald Poliquin and Jeffrey Zielinski
- 2001: David Burkholder and Aaron Hollis
Representative Judges
Each year, Moe Levine is proud to welcome distinguished jurists from the tri-state area to serve as judges for the Hugh B. Pearce competition. In the past, Justices from the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware have judged the final competition.
Contact Information:
Jennifer Lynn Dryer, Competition Chairperson
Email: jennifer.dryer@gmail.comMichael D. DiCindio, Moe Levine President
Phone: (302) 477-2708
Email: mddicindio@mail.widener.eduDoris Zinck, Society Secretary
Phone: 302-477-2144
Email: dzinck@widener.edu The Moe Levine offices are located in Concord Hall (
Campus map)