Over the course of the spring 2024 semester, multiple student teams representing Catholic Law showcased exceptional advocacy skills, earning top awards and recognition in highly competitive match-ups. From reaching finals in the National Trial Competition, to securing victory in the Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup, these students demonstrated their outstanding training and oral and written advocacy talents.

Kicking off the spring season, Catholic Law’s National Mock Trial Team achieved Regional Finalist status in the National Trial Competition. Of the two teams Catholic Law fielded, Zoe Evans (3L) and Peyton Smetana (2L) went undefeated through all four preliminary rounds, narrowly missing victory in the competitive semifinals by just one ballot.

Following up on Catholic Law’s National Trial Team success, Gerald Sharpe (2L) and Leah Roddenberry (2L) represented the school’s Moot Court program, reaching the championship round of the D.C. Cup Competition, securing second place overall. Sharpe was also recognized as the “Best Oralist” for the entire competition, a distinction highlighted in the D.C. Bar’s Washington Lawyer magazine.

Shortly thereafter, second-year students Hannah Munro, Declan Scanlon, and Samantha Winter earned top honors for Best Petitioner’s Brief at Fordham Law School’s Irving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Competition. Their written work stood out among submissions evaluated by leaders from the securities law industry.

Continuing the Catholic Law winning streak on its home turf, Betsy McMullen (3L), Emily Bushman (3L), and Nick Dunard (3L) clinched the first place spot at the 74th Annual Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, the oldest national competition in the United States of its kind. Competing against a field of 34 teams from 32 different law schools across the nation, Catholic Law’s 3L team’s victory underscored their thorough preparation, with support from peers and faculty coaches.

The spring semester also featured the law school’s SoapBox competition, an annual intra-school competition designed to evaluate first-year students interested in joining moot court. The 2024 SoapBox competition recognized first-years Atticus Keane and Alden Kelly as the top performers, earning an invitation to the Catholic Law Moot Court Association.

Catholic Law’s Moot Court Association and National Trial Team offer students opportunities for practical, skill-based training and education, preparing them for real world success.