Overview
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is a powerful specialized committee that requires delegates to master constitutional law and judicial precedent. This body tackles the most complex and contentious legal questions facing the nation, with its rulings shaping American society and law for decades to come. Delegates in this committee will be assigned roles as Justices, Attorneys (Counsel), or Amicus Curiae (Special Interest Representatives), each requiring a different perspective and legal strategy. BosMUN will feature a departure from standard Model UN procedure, as delegates will follow the very specific procedure of the Supreme Court instead. You will engage in oral arguments, rigorous questioning from the bench, and in-depth judicial conferences, simulating the actual workings of the American legal system rather than traditional parliamentary debate.
Topic: Buckley v. Valeo, 1976
Everyone recognizes that no government can invade our personal lives and control where we choose to spend our money, at least within reason. But what happens when the way we spend our money becomes … speech? With the passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, campaign funding and spending was placed under more stringent regulation and was amended to create the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in 1974, but had sparked backlash who saw this as a violation of their First Amendment freedoms of speech, as it limited the impact those with money could spend to influence politics. In the 1976 Supreme Court Case Buckley v. Valeo, delegates will be forced to balance anti-corruption measures with our freedom of speech to navigate the extension of free speech to campaign finance.
The Dais
Madison Herczeg - Chair
Madison Herczeg is a current junior at Boston University majoring in International Relations with a minor in French. She hopes to utilize her degree to attend law school and pursue a career as either a Trial attorney or an Entertainment/Intellectual Property attorney.
She has been involved in Model UN since her freshman year of high school, initially joining out of curiosity and quickly discovering its value in teaching global issues, boosting public speaking skills, and increasing general confidence. She continued her involvement at BU, joining MUN@BU to debate and chair conferences.
Madison previously chaired the UNDP committee at BosMUN last February and led a committee at BU's collegiate conference in November. She is particularly excited to chair the SCOTUS committee, believing the case is incredibly interesting and hoping it will spark a fun and engaging debate among the delegates.
Hailing from a beach town in Los Angeles, Madison transferred to BU her sophomore year and now loves living in Boston. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city with friends, trying new restaurants, listening to music (especially Troye Sivan), and is also a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Contact: herczegm@bu.edu
Lise Stabell - Vice Chair
Lise Stabell (she/her) is a freshman at Boston University majoring in International Relations. After earning her bachelor's degree, she plans to attend law school to study international law, with the ultimate goal of working in diplomacy.
Lise began her Model UN career during her junior year of high school and later served as the Secretary-General of her high school's MUN club. She is grateful for the activity, which significantly improved both her public speaking and research skills.
An international student from Norway, Lise spent all four years of high school at a boarding school in New York. She enjoys traveling, hiking (noting Norway's beautiful nature), and listening to music in her free time.
This will be Lise’s first BosMUN, and she is excited to serve as Vice Chair for the SCOTUS committee. She encourages delegates to reach out with any questions and looks forward to meeting everyone and seeing the creative legal solutions they develop.
Contact: lisestab@bu.edu