- March 11, 2026
- By Daniel J. Davis
The University of Maryland Moot Court Team took home multiple awards from the American Moot Court Association’s (AMCA) national Written Brief Competition, including sweeping the top three spots in the petitioner portion.
The competition challenges undergraduate students to draft a roughly 30-page appellate-level argument based on a hypothetical U.S. Supreme Court case drawing on real constitutional precedents. Hundreds of teams from universities nationwide participate each year, and the top 15 briefs on both the petitioner side and respondent side receive national awards. Five of UMD’s eight teams placed nationally, the AMCA announced last month.
On the petitioner side, Tara Davoodi ’25 and Annalise Bachmann ’28 won, Claire Bandy ’27 and Benjamin Nathan ’27 placed second, and John Paul Ciminera ’27 and David Stanco ’26 took third.
On the respondent side, Maja Durkovic ’27 and Louisa Sanford ’28 placed third, and Samantha Sirianni-Chaitram ’26 and Zachary White ’27 earned eighth.
“It was an honor to be recognized for the hard work Tara and I put into this project,” Bachmann said. “But it felt even more meaningful as a win for the entire team. Moot Court is such a collaborative and tight-knit group, so it was exciting to see our work succeed together.”
This year’s case presented two constitutional questions: a 14th Amendment issue modeled after Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, reimagined as a gender-based affirmative action case, and a First Amendment question examining whether a professor’s speech at a public university was protected. Students were required to rely exclusively on the cases provided in the official problem and develop original legal analysis without outside assistance.
“These are complex constitutional issues, and our students are learning how to analyze and argue them without the formal legal training that usually comes in law school,” said Kelsey Barnes, Department of Government and Politics lecturer and assistant director of UMD Moot Court.
The case problem was released in May 2025, and Maryland’s teams began research and analysis during the summer, then accelerated their work in the fall semester. Within weeks of the semester’s start, the teams had to be ready for regional oral argument competitions while continuing to refine their written submissions, which were due in December.
Participants are largely GVPT and pre-law students, though students from other majors across the university also take part. Many dedicate more time than a traditional three-credit course requires.
“It’s an intimidating task. Many teams were new this year and had never authored a legal brief before,” said Durkovic, UMD Moot Court president.
Founded by GVPT Principal Lecturer Michael Spivey, Maryland’s Moot Court program has advanced to the national competition every year since its 2021 inception. The program has also hosted regional competitions that have drawn teams from across the country.
Spivey said the program’s philosophy centers on experiential learning.
“It is one thing to hear something in a classroom, but putting knowledge into practice is the gold standard of learning,” he said. “In moot court, each student is an attorney advocating for a client. They must make their best arguments in writing and in oral advocacy, just like practicing lawyers.
“This was truly a special year,” Spivey continued. “But this is just the beginning. As this year’s champions mentor future champions, the future of UMD Moot Court looks very bright.”