Through Moot Court Association (MCA) and Dispute Resolution Team (DRT), NYLS students hone their appellate advocacy, brief-writing, and alternative dispute resolution skills while representing NYLS in prestigious national competitions.
In recent weeks, NYLS teams have excelled across multiple competitions, winning gold and earning top honors for their exceptional oral advocacy and legal writing skills. Take a look at the recent competition victories achieved by these impressive teams.
Winner of Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition
NYLS’s DRT secured first place at the 4th Annual Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition (TIFNC), beating out 11 teams from nine other schools across the country. Champions Stephen Pepe ’25, Mark Kvinta ’26, and Taylor Foster ’25—who also serves as student coach—were guided by Faculty Advisor and Professor F. Peter Phillips ’87. Professor Phillips also directs the School’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Skills Program.
Hosted by the Tulane Sports Law Society, TIFNC is a simulated contract negotiation competition that tasks students with negotiating deals involving real-life international soccer clubs and players in hypothetical scenarios.
Best First Round Oralist at Mardi Gras Invitational
NYLS’s moot court team, led by Faculty Advisor and Professor Ann Schofield Baker ’97, recently competed in theTulaneMardi Gras Moot Court Invitational. Delivering outstanding oral performances were Angela Cefarello ’26, Brianna Cirillo ’26, Steven Kilcommons ’25, and student coach Brian Lewis ’25. Kilcommons won the award for Best First Round Oralist, achieving a perfect score of 100.
This year’s competition was based on the National Football League Sunday Ticket case, which centers on the interplay between sports and antitrust law. Senior fellow R. Scott DeLuca ’98 helped moot the team ahead of the competition.
Quarterfinalist in American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Moot Court Competition
In another success, the NYLS moot court team advanced to the quarterfinals of the AIPLA’s regional moot court competition in Boston, Massachusetts. Alongside student coach Izzy Bruschi ’25 were Zahraa Hamka ’25 and Olivia Wynne ’26—both of whom were competing for the first time.
“I had the pleasure of mooting the team many times before the competition and can attest to the immense time and effort they all dedicated to this competition,” says Professor Baker.
Additional support for the team came from senior fellow Bob Trepp Esq., Professor Shahrokh Falati ’08, D. Reeves Carter, Esq., Rana Matared, Esq., and Ansley Stevens ’25.They mooted and worked closely with the team in the weeks leading up to the competition, providing invaluable insight into complex areas of patent law, workshopping arguments, and continuously motivating the team throughout the process.
Quarterfinalist in NYU Immigration Competition
The NYLS MCA made waves at the 20th Annual Immigration Law Competition organized by the NYU School of Law. Vanessa Belford ’25, Cassidy Lang ’26, and student coach Elizabeth de Leon ’25 advanced to the quarterfinals and won the award for Second Best Brief. 2025 marks the second year in a row that an NYLS team has won this award, with Bridget Helbock ’25 and Elaine Ynoa Castillo ’25 winning it at last year’s competition.
MCA members Hailey Freilich ’26 and Trevor Wilson ’26, along with their student coach, Rebecca Bliss ’25, also competed, representing NYLS with pride. Stefanie Marvin ’98 served as senior fellow to both teams, helping guide Belford, Cassidy, Freilich, and Wilson through their first external moot court competition.
Professors Lenni B. Benson, Susan J. Abraham, and Michael Pastor, along with Brian Schrader ’98, Carly Silverman ’24, and Matthew J. Baione, played key roles in helping to prepare the teams for competition.
Congratulations to all competitors and coaches on these victories!