MOOT COURT
The Villanova Law Moot Court Board is the principal oral advocacy organization at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.
The Moot Court Board aims to enhance and showcase the appellate advocacy skills of our students. Members of the Moot Court Board have the opportunity to showcase their appellate advocacy and writing skills through competing in various National Appellate Advocacy competitions across the country. Students argue cases involving constitutional law, criminal procedure, sports law, entertainment law, family law, immigration law, and more in front of distinguished panels of judges against law students from around the country.
ABOUT MOOT COURT BOARD
Alessandra Brainard '23, Chairperson
Hometown: Hinesburg, Vermont
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Elon University, Class of 2018
Areas of Interest: Class Actions, Dispute Resolution, Sexual Misconduct Litigation, Privacy Law, White Collar Crime
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist and Best Brief Recipient; 17th Annual New York University Immigration Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: horseback riding, cycling, skiing, concerts, politics
Kaely Lawler '23, Vice Chairperson
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Gonzaga University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Intellectual Property (Copyright and Trademark), Constitutional Law, Criminal Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist; Cardozo BMI Entertainment and Media Law Moot Court Competition, Winner
Interests Outside of Law School: movies, college basketball, gin rummy, lap swimming, skiing
Taylor Bourguignon '23, Director of External Competitions
Hometown: Manorville, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of South Carolina, Class of 2019
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Criminal Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; 17th Annual New York University Immigration Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: weightlifting, baking, gardening
Zachary Moniz '23, Director of External Competitions
Hometown: North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Undergraduate Institution and Year: College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Appellate Litigation, Sports Law, Personal Injury Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; West Virginia University National Energy & Sustainability Competition, Round of 16
Interests Outside of Law School: sports, video games
Riley Cook '23, Reimel Administrator
Hometown: Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Public Defense, Civil Rights Litigation, White Collar Crime/Corruption Prosecution, Appellate Advocacy
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; William & Mary Law William B. Spong Moot Court Competition; Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: live music, traveling, trivia, trying new foods
Madelyn Phinney '23, Reimel Administrator
Hometown: Harrington Park, New Jersey
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The College of New Jersey, Class of 2019
Area of Interest: Public Interest Government Work
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; William & Mary Law William B. Spong Moot Court Competition; Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: biking, reading, music
Maggie MacDonald '23, Director of Recruitment & Alumni Relations
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2017
Areas of Interest: Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; 17th Annual New York University Immigration Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: group fitness, reading
Alexandra Romano '23
Hometown: Westchester, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Maryland - College Park, Class of 2014
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Investment Management
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Winner; William & Mary Spong Competition, Octofinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: traveling, reality TV enthusiast
Bella Roman '23
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Franklin & Marshall, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Corporate Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Winner and Best Oralist; William & Mary Spong Competition, Octofinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: cooking, tennis, playing with my dog
Collin Sykes '23
Hometown: Sandwich, Massachusetts
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2013
Areas of Interest: Environmental Law, Maritime/Admiralty Law, International Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist and Best Brief Recipient; 17th Annual New York University Immigration Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: boats, adventures, cooking/eating
Lyndsey Marcus '23
Hometown: Herndon, Virginia
Undergraduate Institution and Year: James Madison University, B.A., Class of 2012
Graduate Institute and Year: University of Virginia, M.A., Class of 2014
Areas of Interest: Employment Law, Insurance Law, Constitutional Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist; Cardozo BMI Entertainment and Media Law Moot Court Competition, Winner
Interests Outside of Law School: yoga, traveling, going for walks with my dog Biscuit
Margot Weitz '23
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State, Class of 2018
Areas of Interest: Criminal Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 62nd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; Michigan State Gender & Sexuality Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: traveling, reading, watching reality TV
Abby Kelley '24
Hometown: Bernard, Maine
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Boston University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Human Trafficking, Sexual Violence
Interests Outside of Law School: playing musical instruments, swimming, Boston University hockey, reading, movies
Anna O’Brien '24
Hometown: West Chester, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Saint Joseph's University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Civil Litigation, Insurance, Securities
Interests Outside of Law School: going to the beach, hosting brunch, hiking
Ariselly Fernandez '24
Hometown: Bayside, Queens
Undergraduate Institution and Year: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Class of 2018
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Family Law
Interests Outside of Law School: taking care of plants - predominately succulents, exploring Pennsylvania with my dog Nirvana
Daniel Goldfield '24
Hometown: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Class of 2017
Areas of Interest: Criminal Justice Reform, Due Process Rights, Voting Rights, Election Law, Public Policy Drafting
Interests Outside of Law School: spending time with family and friends, yard games, board games, politics, the Green Bay Packers, Villanova Basketball, golf, tennis
Eddie Reilingh '23
Hometown: Pleasantville, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Indiana University - Bloomington, Class of 2015
Areas of Interest: Constitutional Law, Immigration Law, Criminal Law, Administrative Law
Interests Outside of Law School: cooking, running, biking
Eric Rotteveel '24
Hometown: Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Clemson University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Intellectual Property Law, Insurance Law
Interests Outside of Law School: hiking, traveling
Haley Norwillo '23
Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Chestnut Hill College, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Employment Law, Public Interest Lawyering, Business Law
Interests Outside of Law School: karaoke, my dog Grace
Krysti Oschal '24
Hometown: Shavertown, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Dickinson College, Class of 2017
Areas of Interest: Plaintiff's Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, Constitutional Law
Interests Outside of Law School: golf, travel, fashion
Mary McDermott '23
Hometown: Long Island, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Saint Joseph’s University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Criminal Law, Public Interest, Litigation
Interests Outside of Law School: playing rugby with a local Philly team, reading, traveling
Meghan Fleming '24
Hometown: Richboro, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation, Defense Litigation, Constitutional Law
Interests Outside of Law School: cooking new recipes, running outdoors, knitting
Parks Kingery '24
Hometown: Hockessin, Delaware
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Delaware, Class of 2014
Areas of Interest: Intellectual Property Litigation
Interests Outside of Law School: sports, hiking, bartending
Patrick McKeon '24
Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation, Business Law, Trusts & Estates
Interests Outside of Law School: college football, playing soccer & tennis, reading, travel
Sarah Urie '24
Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Notre Dame of Maryland University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Military Justice, Criminal Law
Interests Outside of Law School: backpacking, cooking, reading
Chairperson
The chairperson manages twenty-five members of the Villanova Law Moot Court Board. The chairperson acts as the point-person between the Moot Court Board and the greater law school and administration. Additionally, the chairperson oversees all planning, coordination, expenditures and communication for the internal competition, external competitions and additional extracurriculars.
Vice Chairperson
The vice chairperson assists the chairperson and all other executive board members to successfully complete their tasks. The vice chairperson frequently acts as an intermediary for the chairperson, other executive board members and other Moot Court board members, keeping the communication and relationships among the board strong.
External Competition Coordinators
The external competition coordinators are responsible for organizing the Moot Court Board’s participation in competitions across the country, including submitting applications, organizing travel and determining who competes at which competitions. The external competition coordinators also play a role in judging the summer competition and determining the pairing and coaching assignments.
Reimels Administrators
The Reimels administrators work with Professor Jessica Webb and coordinate her fall LW3–Litigation/Appellate Advocacy course with the Moot Court Board's Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition. The Reimels administrators are in charge of not only the logistics of the competition but also grading competitor briefs, providing feedback to Professor Webb on the competition problem prior to the fall semester and engaging with students in the 2L class competing in the competition.
Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations
The director of recruitment and alumni relations leads the summer competition—the primary means to gain membership to the Moot Court Board. Additionally, the director maintains relationships with the Moot Court Board's alumni, assists with organizing alumni events and connects the current members with alumni in their interested fields.
Students can attain membership on the Moot Court Board in one of two ways:
- Competing in the annual Moot Court Summer Competition; or
- Stellar performance in the intra-school Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition.
Summer Competition
The Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations organizes a competition for rising 2L and 3L students to compete for membership on the Moot Court Board. Each competitor writes an appellate brief and argues on-brief in front of the Executive Board, a panel of five members. The oral argument is 12 minutes and is followed by a short interview. The brief and oral argument are each worth 50% of the overall competition score. The Moot Court Board selects approximately 10-12 new members from this competitive process. Although students may try out for Moot Court Board and the Villanova Law Review write-on, students who join Moot Court Board cannot jalso join a journal.
Reimel Competition
The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board may decide to extend an invitation for Membership on the Moot Court Board after stellar performance in the Reimel Competition. The Moot Court Board may choose to select one competitor in a team or both partners in a team. This decision is made after considering a team’s brief score, oral argument performance and advancement in the competition.
First-Year Member Responsibilities:
- Compete in Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition in the Fall
All first-year Moot Court board members are required to compete in the fall intraschool competition in preparation for their spring outside competitions. The first-year Moot Court board members participate in the intraschool competition in tandem with enrollment in the LW3–Litigation/Appellate Advocacy course with Professor Webb. - Compete in External Competitions in the Spring
Each first-year Moot Court board member competes with a partner at a national moot court competition. The Moot Court board members are tasked with competing against other schools’ Moot Court teams at national competitions hosted by various law schools. Competing in an external competition will require members to write an appellate brief and argue before distinguished panels of judges. - Assist with the 1L Legal Writing Program in the Spring
The Moot Court Board helps the first-year legal writing faculty members administer and judge the first-year law students’ spring semester oral arguments. Each Moot Court board member provides constructive feedback to first-year students to assist in preparation for their graded arguments.
Second-Year Member Responsibilities:
- Mentor First-Year Board Members Throughout the Year
Each second-year Moot Court board member will mentor a first-year member throughout the year. The mentor will help their mentee review strategies for improvement, provide general advice, check in on the mentee’s mental health and well-being and provide a strong support system. - Compete in External Competitions in the Fall or Spring
Each Moot Court board member competes with a partner at a national Moot Court competition. The Moot Court board members are tasked with competing against other schools’ Moot Court teams at national competitions hosted by various law schools. Competing in an external competition will require members to write an appellate brief and argue before distinguished panels of judges. - Coach First-Year Members in External Competitions in the Spring
Each second-year Moot Court board member competes and serves as a student coach for a first-year or second-year team. Coaches organize oral argument practice schedules and coordinate with faculty, alumni and subject matter experts to assist with judging practice rounds in order to best prepare the Moot Court board members for their competitions. - Assist with the 1L Legal Writing Program in the Spring
The Moot Court Board helps the first-year legal writing faculty members administer and judge the first-year law students’ spring semester oral arguments. Each Moot Court board member provides constructive feedback to first-year students to assist in preparation for their graded arguments.
COMPETITIONS
Each year, the Moot Court Board competes in Villanova Law's annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition as well as a number of external competitions.
2022 Reimel Moot Court Competition winners, Daniel Goldfield ’24 and Anna O’Brien ’24, pictured with the final round judges
The Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition is an annual intra-school tournament and a hallowed tradition at Villanova Law. Named in honor of the late Theodore L. Reimel, Judge for the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas from 1953 to 1973, the competition is designed to foster student development in written and oral advocacy through simulated appellate argument. Many alumni and other esteemed members of the legal community come to the law school to judge the oral arguments and provide advice and feedback to our students.
In 2015, the Reimel Competition was integrated with the LW3–Litigation/Appellate Advocacy course to provide second-year students with a more comprehensive, authentic and practice-oriented educational experience. Students enrolled in Appellate Advocacy participate in Reimels as part of the course. Third-year students are also encouraged to participate in the competition. All participants work in teams of two and are required to write an appellate brief and participate in oral arguments.
2L students enrolled in Legal Writing III: Litigation/Appellate Advocacy compete in teams of two writing an appellate brief and arguing twice (once on-brief and once off-brief) in the preliminary round of the competition. The top-scoring teams advance to the elimination rounds of the competition. Villanova alumni, professors, local practitioners, and distinguished federal and state judges serve as panelists in the intra-school competition.
63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition
Champions
Daniel Goldfield ’24 & Anna O’Brien ’24
Awards
Best Final Round Oralist: Daniel Goldfield ’23
Best Brief for the Petitioner: Mackenzie Jeffrey ’24 & Alannah King ’24
Best Brief for the Respondent: Catie Barry ’24 & Michaela Kelly ’24
Best Preliminary Round Oralist: Anderson Amaya ’24
Judges
Final Round Bench
- The Honorable Stephanos Bibas, United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- The Honorable Scott W. Reid, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- The Honorable David R. Stras, United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Semi-finals Bench
- The Honorable Elizabeth T. Hey ’89, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- The Honorable Karen S. Marston, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- The Honorable Sheldon K. Rennie ’97, Judge for the Superior Court of Delaware
1961-62: Robert J. Bray ’62 and John J. Duffy ’62
1962-63: Kenneth N. Garber ’63 and Robert Silverberg ’64
1963-64: Richard H. Roesgen ’64 and Thomas M. Twardowski ’65
1964-65: Charles A. Haddad ’66 and Eugene D. Silverman ’66
1965-66: Anthony B. Agnew ’67 and Barton A. Pasternak ’67
1966-67: Edward R. Murphy ’67 and Patrick J. O’Connor ’67
1967-68: Joseph R. Lally ’69 and Edward S. Panek ’69
1968-69: Joseph D. Casey III ’70 and Samuel J. Knox ’70
1969-70: Joseph T. Sebastianelli ’71 and Leonard N. Zito ’71
1970-71: John P. Moses ’71 and Thomas J. O’Neill ’68 VSB, ’71 CWSL
1971-72: Alan R. Jackman ’63 CLAS, ’72 CWSL and John W. Nails ’72
1972-73: Paul R. Beckert ’73 and John C. Gabroy ’73
1973-74:Judith R. Forman ’75 and Lise Luborsky ’75
1974-75: Joseph F. Lawless ’76 and David E. Worby ’76
1975-76: Patricia H. Burrall ’76 and J. Keath Fetter ’76
1976-77: James F. Guidera ’75 CLAS, ’78 CWSL and Dennis C. McAndrews ’78
1977-78: James M. Baker ’78 and Frederick J. Lauten ’79
1978-79: Nancy A. Ezold ’80 and Susan T. Fletcher ’80
1979-80: Kenwyn M. Dougherty ’80 and Richard L. McMonigle ’80
1980-81: Joseph C. Kohn ’82 and Lisa Palfy ’82
1981-82: Brian L. Lincicome ’82 and Jeffrey A. Lutsky ’82
1982-83: Michael J. Robinson ’84 and Andrew G. Siegeltuch ’84
1983-84: Sylvia T. Nisenbaum ’85 and Nancy H. Redd ’85
1984-85: Barbara A. O’Connell ’86 and Pamela L. Pentin ’86
1985-86: Libby A. White ’86 and David J. Wiedis ’86
1986-87: Lisa M. McCausland ’88 and Rosemary Pinto ’88
1987-88: Timothy J. Jaeger ’88 and Nina A. Kannatt ’88
1988-89: Richard E. Ruffee ’90 and Neil W. Townsend ’90
1989-90: Linda J. Ferrara ’91 and Rosemary D. Halligan ’91
1990-91: Robert J. Bohner Jr. ’91 and Leslie M. Gillin ’91
1991-92: Martin S. Lessner ’92 and Eric G. Zajac ’92
1992-93: Kelly Ann Connors ’94 and Michele C. Wiener ’94
1993-94: David A. Aikens ’94 and Michelle M. Aldrich ’94
1994-95: Joanne M. Judge ’96 and Barbara A. Williams ’96
1995-96: Michelle M. Lombardo ’88 BA, ’91 MS, ’97 CWSL and Jayne Y. Risk ’97
1996-97: Daniel J. Barry ’98 and Ronald D. Gale ’97
1997-98: Diane P. Carman ’89 CLAS, ’98 CWSL and Jennifer J. Clark ’98
1998-99: Tomika N. Stevens ’03 and Melissa H. Witsil ’00
1999-00: Maureen Q. Dwyer ’01 and Tracy D. Laskowski ’01
2000-01: Dennis L. Abramson ’01 and Andrew J. DiSanto ’01
2001-02 Kimberly A. Eger ’02 and Steven S. Poulathas ’99 VSB, ’02 CWSL
2002-03: Katherine J. Greger ’03 and William C. Root ’98 VSB, ’03 CWSL
2003-04: LeeAnn L. Gurysh ’05 and Christina M. Hanna ’05
2004-05: Edward J. Heffernan ’06 and Jonathan B. Ortiz ’06
2005-06: Christina M. Maron ’07 and Lindsay D. Varcoe ’07
2006-07: Bethany L. Deal ’05 CLAS, ’08 CWSL and Brian A. Pelloni ’08
2007-08: Michael J. Hoffman ’09 and Kelly M. Immordino ’09
2008-09: Brittany A. Koscher ’10 and Sean P. Philbin ’05 CLAS, ’10 CWSL
2009-10: Stephen E. Luttrell ’11 and Daniel A. Strumpf ’11
2010-11: John Mitchell Morris ’12 and Julia C. Young ’12
2011-12: Richard D. Eiszner ’05 CLAS, ’13 CWSL and Andrea E. May ’13
2012-13: Stephen J. McCloskey ’14 and Ashley M. Toczylowski ’14
2013-14: William G. Burrows ’15 and Mark R. Hewlett ’15
2014-15: Bethany E. Brooks ’15 and Nicole K. Pedi ’15
2015-16: Joshua Jacobs ’17 and Eugene Tsvilik ’17
2016-17: Sarah Burke ’18 and Kaitlyn Macaulay ’18
2017-18: Steven Lee ’19 and Daniel Sulvetta ’19
2018-19: Vanessa Huber '20 and Scott Zlotnick '19
2019-20: CC Carreras '21 and Karina Norwood '21
2020-21: Annalise Hodges '22 and Tasha Stoltzfus Nankerville '22
2021-22: Alexandra Romano ’23 and Isabelle Roman ’23
Last year Villanova Law’s Moot Court board members found success in various national appellate advocacy competitions, where they faced teams from law schools across the country. Each team consisted of two students from the Moot Court Board, the principal oral advocacy organization at Villanova Law which aims to enhance and showcase students’ courtroom advocacy skills.
Participants analyzed and argued cutting-edge legal issues for hypothetical cases, from either the plaintiffs’ side or the defendants’. They used procedures modeled after those employed in state and federal appellate courts.
This year, the Moot Court Board is excited to return to in-person external competitions and continue to meet success!
Interested in getting involved with the Moot Court Board?
We're looking for law professionals and Villanova Law alumni to judge the Reimel Competition, coach teams and speak to the board. If you're interested, complete the online form or email us.