Fordham Law’s Brendan Moore Trial Advocates, who contributed to the latest ranking of the Law School’s trial advocacy program as No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, garnered victories in multiple top competitions this academic year.
Three teams advanced to the finals in three of the most prestigious competitions in the country and 10 students won individual awards for outstanding performance.
As the Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy Center prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, Sadie LoGerfo-Olsen ’24 said it was an honor to serve as this year’s editor-in-chief. She expressed how proud she was of the student advocates’ and alumni coaches’ dedication to the program.
“The Moores are beyond special, not only for their consistent accomplishments around the country, but also for their commitment to one another right here at Fordham,” said LoGerfo-Olsen. “Our advocates have the privilege to learn from alumni of the Moores who come back each year as coaches and pour countless hours into growing each and every student into the unique advocate that they can be.”
In all, 68 students had the transformative experience of competing in a formal trial competition tournament this year, with many participating in two competitions. Fordham Law has an impressive record of engaging more students than any other law school in the nation, according to Adam Shlahet ’02, director of the Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy Center.
“Class after class of Moore Advocates continues to build on the achievements of years prior,” Shlahet said. “Because of their talent, hard work, and professionalism, Fordham students now enter any courtroom carrying a reputation for excellence. We’ve earned that.”
In the Verdict National Jury Trial Competition, hosted by UCLA Law School in October 2023, an all-women team of 3Ls finished as finalists. Tiffany Ahn ’24, Sonia Autret ’24, Tedi Beemer ’24, and Anastasia Zevan ’24 were coached by Dean Corrado ’22, Mike Hardin ’14, and Brittany Russell ’13. Unlike other competitions, the Verdict event is decided using a jury of lay people rather than lawyers, who give scores based on how convincing they found each team’s presentations.
The Verdict competition was accompanied by other wins by Fordham Law’s Trial Advocacy teams. In March, third-year Moore Advocates Jared Boyles ’25, Samantha Mitchell ’24, Kathryn Scott ’24, and Tammy Zapata ’24 ended up as regional finalists at the virtual American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition. This year’s problem revolved around a family suing a power company for leaving their downed powerline active for three hours, resulting in a death later.
“The coaching we got from Moore veteran Moores Greg O’Brien ’18, Mike Higgins ’08, and Megi Belegu ’19 was invaluable because they had so much insight to give,” said Zapata, who had previously worked with Higgins and O’Brien during her first competition. “As someone who wants to be a litigator and find my way into a courtroom one day, this experience was amazing. It had me not only knowing evidence and how to build effective examinations, but also how to truly empathize with a jury and show zealous advocacy even through a screen.”
In February, Ahn, Autret, and Zevan also advanced to the finals of the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition (TYLA). The trio was coached by Jeff Briem ’05, KJ Colman ’21, and Shlahet. TYLA, according to Shlahet, is the oldest and most prestigious trial competition in the country, attracting teams from more than 140 law schools and involving more than 1,000 law students each year.
The following students were recognized for their individual performances at their respective competitions: Ahn won Best Advocate at the Verdict competition, Rachel Goldstein ’24 won Best Closing Argument at the National Ethics Trial Competition, Morgan Hunt ’24 won Best Advocate at the Online National Trial Competition, Kevin Jones ’25 won Best Opening Statement at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office Mock Trial Competition, and Sadie LoGerfo-Olsen ’24 won Best Advocate at the Tournament of Champions National Mock Trial Competition.
Philip O’Connell ’25 won Best Advocate at the Trials and Tribulations National Mock Trial Competition, Yash Ramesh ’24 won Best Closing Argument at Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition, Rahul Sukesh ’24 won Best Advocate at the Battle of the Experts National Trial Competition, Eric Wan ’25 won Best Opening Statement at the Gold Cup Mock Trial Competition, and Sarah Wiik ’24 won Best Advocate at TYLA.
Looking back at the 2023-2024 competitions, LoGerfo-Olsen said, “It was an honor to be at the helm of this legendary Trial Advocacy juggernaut for my final year at Fordham, and I hope to have given back even a fraction of what this program has done for me. I am excited to see the incoming board lead the Brendan Moore Trial Advocates into their 30th year and have no doubt they’ll continue to thrive.”