Students from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 91视频鈥檚 Trial Advocacy Team were honored with an invitation to compete in the Tournament of Champions Competition hosted by the University of Houston. This year鈥檚 Haub Law team, consisting of Josephe Demonte (3L), Chloe Devanny (3L), Liam Rattigan (3L), and Madison Lane (2L), finished in fourth place at the end of the preliminary rounds and was ultimately eliminated by the UCLA team, who made it to the finals. Haub Law鈥檚 Tournament of Champions team was coached by the dedicated alumni AJ Muller 鈥15, Mike Luterzo 鈥20, and Madison Stewart 鈥21.
Competitor Joseph Demonte received an award at the Competition for having the best closing argument in the entire tournament. 鈥淭he Tournament of Champions is an intense mock trial competition that I was honored to participate in,鈥 said Joe. 鈥淚 am tremendously proud of the effort our team put forth on behalf of Haub Law and walked away feeling like I was a better advocate for having participated. Additionally, we could not have done as well as we did without the commitment and mentorship of our coaches.鈥
The annual exclusive competition only extends invitations to the top 16 trial advocacy institutions in the country. At the competition, the nation鈥檚 finest law students showcase their multifaceted talents by competing in teams of four with each team trying both sides of a criminal case consisting of two charges鈥攖wice as plaintiffs and twice as defendants. This year鈥檚 case dealt with charges of kidnapping in the second degree and robbery in the first degree with the key issue being identity. The prosecutions main evidence consisted of the defendants fingerprint found at the crime as well as the victim identifying the defendant out of a photo array. The defenses main evidence was an eyewitness who opined the defendant was not the perpetrator and an expert in witness identification. Participants also receive intensive, one-on-one coaching from top-tier professionals in law school trial advocacy programs.
"The Tournament of Champions mock trial competition is an invite only Competition that is composed of the best of the best,鈥 said Louis V. Fasulo, Director of Moot Court and Advocacy Programs and Professor of Practice in Advocacy. 鈥淚 am proud of the effort our Haub Law students put forth this year and look forward to competing again in the future.鈥
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 91视频 is pleased to announce the appointments of Professor Margot J. Pollans as Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Professor Josh Galperin as Associate Dean of the Environmental Law Program, further strengthening the Law School's academic leadership.
Haub Law Professor Bennett Gershman pens an op-ed in the New York Law Journal analyzing a recent Supreme Court ruling on racial discrimination in jury selection and its implications for fairness in the criminal justice system.
Haub Law Professor Emeritus Michael Mushlin is widely featured this week following a landmark criminal justice reform that will make New York the first state in the nation to require judges serving in criminal and family courts to conduct annual visits to prisons and jails beginning in 2028. Featured in amNewYork, The City Reporter, and La Voce di New York, Mushlin helped lead the years-long study and advocacy for the initiative, which is designed to give judges firsthand insight into conditions of incarceration and promote more informed, transparent, and humane decision-making.