This time last year, and were looking forward to their final semester of high school. This year, the two freshman McConnell Scholars are spending their Christmas break prepping for the American Moot Court Association’s national tournament in Gulfport, Florida, following a stellar performance at a regional undergraduate competition earlier this month.

Forty teams competed in the Dec. 2-3 regional event held at Saginaw Valley State University, with the top eight advancing to the national finals slated for Jan. 6-7 at Stetson University. Team Kolyaskina/Noble were one of four teams sent by the McConnell Center to participate in the event, which showcases oral arguments before an appellate court of law.

“I have always had an interest in the law but did not have room for legal studies in my class schedule,” said Kolyaskina, who intends to double major in finance and economics and minor in Spanish, political science and international business. “I have learned so much from this experience and especially appreciate the advice from the upperclassmen on the team. If they weren’t pushing me from Day 1, I would not have been able to make the competitive team.”

Moot Court competitions are known for their intensity, which makes the two freshmen’s placement in the finals even more impressive, according to UofL law school alumnus and team coach .

“UofL students are probably the only ones in the entire national competition who do not prepare for this as part of a class,” Salyer said. “We probably put in 80 hours of practice this fall, including weekends and late evening practices — and that’s in addition to their other responsibilities as students and McConnell Scholars.”

The regional tournament also saw two UofL students place in the top 15 in the oral arguments category, with Robert Gassman placing 9th and Alicia Humphrey finishing 11th out of 76 competitors. The center’s moot court program was also earlier this year.

Made up exclusively of McConnell Scholars, the McConnell Center’s moot court team represents the University of Louisville and is the only undergraduate program in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The team has enjoyed success in regional and national tournaments for nearly 10 years, boasting four “Sweet Sixteen” finishes since 2009 and three “Round of 32” finishes since 2007.

In addition to team successes, Arsh Haque (’15) placed first in the 2014 “Top Orator” individual competition. He also finished 14th overall in 2015, and Kirk Laughlin (’10) finished 15th overall in 2009.

These achievements factored into the 20th place ranking, based on metrics from the ACMA.

Since 2008, the team has been coached by , a McConnell Scholar alumnus (’01). Participation on the team is a large undertaking, as students typically spend a semester researching, writing and practicing their oral arguments, in addition to their normal coursework and extracurricular activities. Each competition team is made up of two scholars who handle half of the argument.

In recent years, the team has also served as an opportunity for McConnell Scholar alumni to mentor and help current students interested in legal topics.  Sean Williamson (’11) serves as an assistant coach with Laughlin. Alumni Ben Weyman (’13), Eric Kiser (’12), Meagan Floyd (’13) and Mike Adams (’98) help with judging and offering advice.

This year’s case deals with voting rights issues, and the team is scheduled to compete on December 3 in the Great Lakes Regional at Saginaw Valley State University. 

The event was held at New York Law School and featured 38 teams. Brandeis beat George Washington University Law School in the final round to win the title.

Brandeis’ team was coached by Emily DeVuono, a 2015 Brandeis School of Law graduate and attorney at Grossman & Moore, and Ben Basil, a 2011 Brandeis School of Law graduate and attorney at Priddy, Cutler, Naake & Meade.

“The Brandeis School of Law is extremely proud of our three students and their coaches for bringing us home the national championship. Preparing for these competitions involves many hours of hard work. This title is a testament to how talented Brandeis students are and the fine training they receive in oral and written communication skills while at Brandeis,” said Dean Susan Duncan.

The team’s faculty adviser is Professor Ariana Levinson. She said this is the best finish the team has had in more than 35 years.

“I am very proud of this outstanding team and their coaches.  Carolyn, Megan, and Kellie are superbly skilled advocates and have a deep understanding of Employment Law.  As coaches, Ben, Emily, and Leah Smith, who with Ben coached Carolyn and Megan last year, have been unbelievably generous with their time and talents and are amazing leaders and role-models,” Professor Levinson said.

According to the New York Law School website, the Wagner Competition is the nation’s largest student-run moot court competition. This year’s authors, Kimberly Gay and Nicole Mozee, wrote a fact pattern that challenged competitors to argue whether transgender identity is a protected class under Section 703 of Title VII, and whether gender dysphoria constitutes a “serious health condition” under the Family Medical Leave Act.

The final round from March 20 is .