{"id":14644,"date":"2025-10-10T14:54:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T21:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/law\/2025\/10\/10\/historic-2nd-place-aba-finish-in-2025-for-fsol-teams\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T14:54:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T21:54:44","slug":"historic-2nd-place-aba-finish-in-2025-for-fsol-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/2025\/10\/10\/historic-2nd-place-aba-finish-in-2025-for-fsol-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic 2nd Place ABA Finish in 2025 for FSOL Teams – Chapman Earns Second-Place Finish in ABA Ranking after Historic Year in Competitions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nIn a year of unprecedented wins for the school, Chapman University Fowler School of Law wrapped up the year in style by placing second in the American Bar Association\u2019s 2025 Competition Championships. The wins, places and other achievements of the 2024-2025 school year led to this year\u2019s outstanding national ranking and included five disciplines: Appellate Advocacy, Arbitration, Client Counseling, Mediation and Negotiation. A combination of historic accomplishments across the different competition teams contributed to this recognition, emphasizing the collaboration, faculty support, alumni coaching contributions and incredible effort our students put into their performances this year.<\/p>\n

The American Bar Association\u2019s Competition Championships ranking is a national ranking that takes into account factors such as hosting, participating and degree of success at each competition. The American Bar Association (ABA) releases its list of the top ten schools annually, with Texas Tech University School of Law in first place for 2025 and the Fowler School of Law in second.<\/p>\n

In one of the biggest wins in the school\u2019s history and at one of the most esteemed moot court competitions in the country, classmates Sophie Jeltema (JD \u201825) and Megan Campbell (JD \u201825) took a hard-won, unprecedented second place at the National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) Finals. The dynamic duo of Jeltema and Campbell also won Third Place Best Brief out of a pool of 173 other teams, further distinguishing this class act from Chapman in this prestigious national competition.<\/p>\n

Kevin Hennessy (JD \u201825) and Joe Kahn (JD \u201825), along with coach Professor Kim Tyler, bested all comers in the Cardozo FAME Center Moot Court Competition in New York City with an outstanding first-place finish in Chapman\u2019s first foray into this prestigious contest.\u00a0Coach and alumnus Jonathan Cayton (JD \u201914) was at the helm of several more wins for the Moot Court Team at the National Criminal Procedure Tournament, where competitors Trevor Kiefer (JD \u201825) and 3L Renee Cabato finished in the top eight, winning the Petitioner\u2019s Best Brief award. Maxwell Schenitzki (JD\u201925) and Lauren Oliveri (JD\u201925) clinched a top sixteen berth, with Schenitzki adding to his distinction in this contest by taking home the second-place oral advocate.<\/p>\n

The Fowler Alternative Dispute Resolution (\u201cADR\u201d) Team claimed several big wins this past year as well. 3Ls Jonathan Metry and Kevin Lorusso, along with Sophia Laws (JD \u201825) and Taline Ratanjee (JD \u201825) made their mark in the ABA Client Counseling National Finals, with Metry and Lorusso taking second place, and Laws and Ratanjee in third, all coached by Elizabeth Kim (JD \u201822). Inclement weather grounded both Chapman teams before their national appearance, forcing them to \u201cphone it in\u201d via Zoom. Undeterred, their remarkable second and third-place finishes in this national competition speak volumes about their poise and drive throughout the regional and national rounds.<\/p>\n

At the American Bar Association Negotiation Competition National Finals, Adam Shoeibi (JD \u201825) and William Seidliz (JD \u201825), coached by Clay O\u2019Neal (JD \u201814), finished as quarterfinalists, for a fifth-place finish on this national stage.<\/p>\n

The Fowler ADR teams also produced great results in New Orleans, with 3Ls Jack Mays and Jake Reed, coached by Tyler Makin (JD \u201824), taking second place at Tulane University\u2019s Professional Football Negotiation Competition. Paulyne Youri (JD \u201825), Kevin Hennessy (JD \u201825) and Mason Hendrix (JD \u201825) kept this momentum going later in the year, as they negotiated their way into the championship round at the Tulane Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition, narrowly losing out to Harvard Law School in the final rounds.<\/p>\n

Although mock trial competitions do not count towards the ABA\u2019s second-place ranking, the Chapman Mock Trial team\u2019s successes contributed to Chapman cementing its place as a top advocacy school. Arguably, one of the biggest splashes in Chapman Mock Trial history came from Luke Hottinger (JD \u201825), Arianna Burtis (JD \u201825), Joe Kahn (JD \u201825) and Anuj Patel (JD \u201825) with coach John Bishop, who enjoyed a fantastic win in the invitation-only Shark Beach Showdown competition in Florida, besting some outstanding competitive advocacy teams from across the country.<\/p>\n

At the Stetson National Pretrial Competition, Megan Campbell (JD \u201825), Sophie Jeltema (JD \u201825), Joe Kahn (JD \u201825) and Anuj Patel (JD \u201825), coached by Jessica Salas, progressed to the semifinals, marking a best-ever finish for a Chapman team in a competition.<\/p>\n

Fowler School of Law began hosting its own in-house competition this year, the Chapman Challenge \u2013 a mock trial competition hosting ten student advocacy teams from across the country. This year\u2019s team included Katherine Luzzi (JD \u201925) and 3Ls Michael Mikhail, Jonathan Metry, and Dan Qi, all coached by alumnus Justin Calub (JD \u201923). This inaugural group was voted \u201cMost Professional Team\u201d by their opponents, credit to the reputation for professionalism, fairness and competitive spirit that Chapman teams are renowned for.<\/p>\n

Much can be made of wins and places from an outstandingly competitive year, yet some acknowledgement needs to be paid to the dedication Chapman law students put into competition preparations. Practices routinely last for hours, with aspects of preparation such as brief writing and legal research, adding additional work for students, who are already burdened by coursework and other extracurricular activities. Coaches are also in need of recognition here, as they share the same long hours of preparation and practice in preparing students for contests. At Chapman Law, coaches are typically drawn from alumni and faculty who are required to balance the demands of their full-time jobs with coaching duties, for a grueling competitive advocacy contest schedule.<\/p>\n

It has indeed been an unprecedented year for Chapman’s student advocates, who have distinguished themselves at every opportunity and in every area of endeavor in the 2024-25 competitions year. Their second-place finish in the ABA rankings is a welcome final achievement, rounding out an exceptional year of hard work, tough competition and professionalism, the hallmark of the fine Chapman Law students, recent graduates and alumni coaches driving our competitive advocacy teams.<\/p>\n