Arizona Law Celebrates a Banner Year in Moot Court and Trial Advocacy

Each year, students at University of Arizona Law compete in local, regional and national moot court and mock trial competitions, giving them the opportunity to put their advocacy skills to the test beyond the classroom. Check out the highlights from this year’s competitions.   

ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition

Two teams from Arizona Law showcased exceptional advocacy skills at the San Francisco regional of the ABA's National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Alyssa Keene (2L), Matthew Lubisich (3L), and Cecily Russell (3L) impressed with three powerful rounds of oral argument, including a top-scoring performance by Alyssa and near-perfect scores for Matt and Cecily. The team of Lian Ascher (3L), Sana Mohammed (3L), and Grace Schroder (2L) advanced as the top seed into the later rounds, narrowly missing a Nationals bid by just a fraction of a point. Their written advocacy earned top honors: the team's brief was awarded 1st place and singled out by the competition problem’s author as among the best bries he had ever seen.

Administered by the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division, the National Appellate Advocacy Competition is one of the most competitive moot court competitions in the country, drawing almost 200 teams from across the country who compete in six regional oral argument rounds. Teams draft briefs and present oral arguments in a simulated case before the United States Supreme Court.  

Barry Davis National Trial Team

ASU hosted the regional competition this year, and the University of Arizona sent two teams to compete. Team One included Brianna Perez (3L), Caroline Hilgert (3L), and Kyle Dayton  (2L). Team Two was Mattie King (3L), Ella Spoor (2L), Sarah Avila (2L), and Victoria Howell (2L). 

After the first three preliminary trials, Team One was in first place with a perfect record, earning them a spot in the semi-final round. Team Two had three great performances but unfortunately did not earn a spot in the semi-final round. Team One went on to beat Berkeley in the semi-final round and then beat the University of California San Francisco in the final round. They had flawless performances all weekend, earning them a first-place finish and a spot at the National Trial Competition (NTC) in Houston, TX. 

The NTC competition is widely considered to be the most prestigious trial competition in the country. Only the top 10% of teams in the country make it to this level of the competition. While the team had excellent performances at Nationals, they fell short of making it to the semi-finals.

The Barry Davis National Trial Team head coaches are Brian Chase (‘11) and Travis McGivern.

Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition 

Drake Sitarmaran (2L) and Matthew Tran (3L) recently represented Arizona Law at the Giles Sutherland  Rich Memorial  Moot Court Competition, held in Chicago. This year’s problem explored the patentability and trade secret protection of a software-implemented solution to virtual reality sickness. 

 The Arizona Law team earned strong marks on their written brief and competed in the opening round of oral arguments. In addition to a weekend of legal advocacy, the students got to experience Chicago’s famous St. Patrick’s Day celebration—including the city’s iconic tradition of dyeing the river green.

The team was coached by Paige Scalf (’21).

Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition

Arizona Law's team of Alison Beaulieu (2L), Braydon Mathis (2L), and Lucas Muller (2L) delivered an impressive performance at the 2025 Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC), held this year at Pace University. 

Over the course of three preliminary rounds, the team was required to argue on behalf of three different parties—an especially challenging format given this year’s problem, which integrated two major recent Supreme Court decisions: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. All three students handled complex environmental and administrative law questions with confidence and clarity. Their written brief, submitted in November without faculty assistance, received the fifth-highest score out of 47 submissions, and Ali Beaulieu was named Best Oralist in the team’s opening round. These achievements helped propel the team into the quarterfinals, where they argued on behalf of the EPA.

Joseph Jenckes Competition

Caroline Hilgert and Brianna Perez earned the top two spots in the annual Joseph Jenckes Competition runoff round and went on to represent the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in the annual showdown against ASU Law. Their powerful performances in the internal runoff stood out among a strong field that also included Natalia Erickson (3rd place) and Victoria Howell and Kyle Dayton (tied for 4th). Though ASU ultimately took home the trophy, Caroline and Brianna delivered compelling closing arguments that made the College of Law proud.

The judges of this year’s competition including Matt Ashton, Alexx Tracy-Ramirez, Victoria Torrilhon, and J.C. Patrascioiu, are the Arizona members of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honorary society of trial lawyers whose membership is limited to 1% of the practicing bar. Being selected for membership is a significant honor, and the College’s membership includes the most prominent trial lawyers in Arizona.  

The Joseph Jenckes Competition has been held for over 50 years. It is sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and is held every year at one of the colleges. 

Patent Trial and Appeal Board Moot Court Competition

Keaton Markley (2L) and Carissa Patton (2L) participated in the first-ever Patent Trial and Appeal Board Moot Court Competition, hosted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Spanning from September to early April, the competition culminated in oral arguments on April 3. Although the competition ended earlier than anticipated due to internal changes at the USPTO it offered an exciting and realistic introduction to practicing before an administrative body. 

This year’s problem focused on a unique and technically nuanced patent: a squirrel-repellent bird feeder. Student advocates were tasked with drafting both an inter parties review petition and a patent owner response. Unlike traditional moot court competitions centered around appellate courts, this format offered participants valuable exposure to the procedural and substantive challenges of agency practice. 

While the competition did not release official placements or feedback, Arizona Law’s submissions were recognized informally for their quality, with one brief described as “really well done” and another praised for its “excellent structure and use of figures.”

Richard Grand Closing Argument Competition

Now in its 29th year, the Richard Grand Closing Argument Competition continues to celebrate excellence in advocacy and courtroom storytelling. Established by renowned trial lawyer and alumnus Richard Grand (’58), the competition emphasizes persuasive jury arguments focused on damages. 

This year’s final round featured five standout students, judged by Dev Sethi, Heather Goodwin, and Amy Hernandez. This year’s finalists included:

1st place ($3,500 prize) — Brianna Perez 
2nd place ($2,500 prize) — Caroline Hilgert 
3rd place ($2,000 prize) — Ella Spoor 
4th place ($1,500 prize) — Mattie King 
5th place ($750 prize) — Victoria Howell 

Samuel M. Fegtly Moot Court Competition

Arizona Law celebrated the 86th Annual Samuel M. Fegtly Moot Court Competition with a spirited final round in the Kevin R. Boyle Courtroom. Finalists Alyssa Keene (2L) and Haley Todd Newsome (3L) argued before an esteemed panel of federal judges from the District of Arizona—Senior Judges Cindy Jorgenson and James A. Soto, and Judge Scott H. Rash—on a timely First Amendment issue involving access to prison grievance materials.

Throughout the competition, students demonstrated excellence in both written and oral advocacy. Grace Schroder (2L) earned the Suzanne Rabé Award for Best Brief, while Kaz Hobbs Walls (2L) was recognized with the Excellence in Brief Writing award. Haley Todd Newsome was honored with the F. Britton Burns Award as the top oral advocate in the final round, and Alyssa Keene received the prestigious Fegtly Award for highest combined scores in the preliminary rounds. Alyssa, Haley, Grace, and Anson Naumann (2L) were named semifinalists, with all four delivering impressive performances throughout.

Founded in 1939 and named for the College of Law’s first dean, the Fegtly Competition is Arizona Law’s oldest moot court tradition. Sponsored since 1985 by alumnus J. Scott Burns ('76) in honor of his father, F. Britton Burns ('41), the competition has a rich legacy of launching students into impactful careers in law and public service.