MOOT COURT
The Murphy Family Endowed Moot Court Board is the principal oral advocacy organization at Villanova Law.
The Moot Court Board aims to enhance and showcase the appellate advocacy skills of our students. Members have the opportunity to showcase their appellate advocacy and writing skills by competing in various national competitions. 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 THE BOARD
Meghan Fleming '24, Chairperson
Hometown: Richboro, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation, White Collar Defense and Corporate Compliance, Constitutional Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: fostering cats, hiking, reading suspense novels on the North Wildwood beach
Anna O'Brien '24, Vice Chairperson
Hometown: West Chester, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Saint Joseph's University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Civil Litigation, Insurance, Securities
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Winner; 53rd Annual William B. Spong Jr. Invitational, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: going to the beach, hosting brunch, hiking
Madison Hamm '24, Reimel Administrator
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Ohio State University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Employment Arbitration, Domestic Relations, General Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Round of Twelve; 38th Annual Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: reading, attending sporting events, playing volleyball
Abby Kelley '24, Reimel Administrator
Hometown: Bernard, Minnesota
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Boston University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Human Trafficking, Sexual Violence
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: playing musical instruments, swimming, Boston University hockey, reading, movies
Mylon Medley '24, Director of External Competitions
Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Oakwood University, Class of 2010
Areas of Interest: Civil Rights Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist; Michigan State University School of Law Gender and Sexuality Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: sci-fi audiobooks and podcasts, comedy, mental wellness, and my dog, Zeus!
Sarah Urie '24, Director of External Competitions
Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Notre Dame of Maryland University, Class of 2021
Area of Interest: Military Justice, Criminal Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; Ninth Annual Touro Law Center Moot Court Competition in Law and Religion, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: backpacking, cooking, reading
Nicholas Ozorowski '24, Director of Recruitment, Retention and Inclusion
Hometown: Norristown, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Class of 2018
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation, Constitutional Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Finalist; Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: running, reading fiction novels
Ariselly Fernandez '24
Hometown: Queens, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Class of 2018
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Family Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; Irving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: taking care of plants - predominately succulents, exploring Pennsylvania with my dog Nirvana
Daniel Goldfield '24
Hometown: Swarthmore, PA
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
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Winner and Best Final Round Oralist; 53rd Annual William B. Spong Jr. Invitational, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: spending time with family and friends, yard games, board games, politics, the Green Bay Packers, Villanova Basketball, golf, tennis
Alannah King '24
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Criminal Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist and Best Brief Recipient; 38th Annual Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: concerts, reading, dogs
Parks Kingery '24
Hometown: Hockessin, Delaware
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Delaware, Class of 2014
Areas of Interest: Intellectual Property Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Round of Twelve; Kaufman Securities Law Moot Court Competition at Fordham School of Law, Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: sports, hiking, bartending
Matthew Lynn '24
Hometown: Aston, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Widener University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Civil Litigation
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: hiking with my dogs, reading, trying new restaurants
Patrick McKeon '24
Hometown: West Chester, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation, Business Law, Trusts & Estates
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Round of Twelve; Kaufman Securities Law Moot Court Competition at Fordham School of Law, Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: college football, playing soccer and tennis, reading, travel
Krysti Oschal '24
Hometown: Shavertown, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Dickinson College, Class of 2017
Areas of Interest: Plaintiff's Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, Constitutional Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist; Ninth Annual Touro Law Center Moot Court Competition in Law and Religion, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: golf, travel, fashion
Jordyn Pace '24
Hometown: Springfield, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Temple University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Environmental Law, Energy Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist; Michigan State University School of Law Gender and Sexuality Moot Court Competition, Quarterfinalist
Interests Outside of Law School: reading, concerts, working out, painting
Eric Rotteveel '24
Hometown: Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Clemson University, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Intellectual Property Law, Insurance Law
Competition Experience and Corresponding Competition Rank: 63rd Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition, Competitor; Irving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition, Competitor
Interests Outside of Law School: hiking, traveling
Taylor Bellardino '25
Hometown: Parsippany, New Jersey
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Class of 2022
Areas of Interest: Civil Litigation (Mass Torts, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, and Personal Injury)
Interests Outside of Law School: horseback riding, experimenting with gluten-free recipes, and visiting Broadway in New York City
Courtney Culhane '25
Hometown: Scituate, Massachusetts
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Cornell University, Class of 2014
Areas of Interest: Veterans Law and Advocacy, Military Justice Reform
Interests Outside of Law School: weightlifting, music, my dog
Elizabeth Henning '25
Hometown: Danville, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Ithaca College, Class of 2022
Areas of Interest: Family Law and Immigration
Interests Outside of Law School: hiking, camping and knitting
Morgan Hill '25
Hometown: Randallstown, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Villanova University, Class of 2022
Areas of Interest: Political/Election Law, Labor & Employment
Interests Outside of Law School: sports, reading, spending quality time with family, and volunteering with my sorority
Benjamin Levy '25
Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Boston University, Class of 2020
Areas of Interest: Commercial Litigation
Interests Outside of Law School: classical singing, competitive volleyball, trivia nights, and hiking nature trails
Giavanna Litz '25
Hometown: Schnecksville, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2022
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Healthcare Law, Employment Law
Interests Outside of Law School: playing soccer, cooking, baking, and traveling through Europe
Daniel Rooney '25
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Providence College, Class of 2021
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Civil Rights, Appellate Advocacy, Constitutional Law
Interests Outside of Law School: music, running, golf and cooking
Jillian Updegraff '25
Hometown: Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Institution and Year: Lafayette College, Class of 2022
Areas of Interest: Litigation, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Medical Malpractice
Interests Outside of Law School: skiing, golfing, reading historical non-fiction, going to trivia with friends, baking
Chairperson
The chairperson manages all 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. Additionally, the vice chairperson maintains relationships with the Moot Court Board's alumni, assists with organizing alumni events and connects current members with alumni in their interested fields."
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, Retention and Inclusion
The director of recruitment, retention and inclusion plans, executes and oversees the administration of the annual summer competition—the primary means to gain membership to the Moot Court Board. Additionally, the director plans and executes events aimed at promoting Board unity and retention. The director also oversees the Moot Court Board's DEI Committee and directs all diversity and inclusion initiatives to recruit diverse members and engage with Villanova Law's various affinity groups.
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!