Skip to main content Skip to footer
Saginaw Valley State University

May 2, 2024

SVSU moot court program ranks in top 10 in the country

Team makes university history

college students in professional attire standing shoulder to shoulder

Countless hours of practice and rigorous preparation have propelled Saginaw Valley State University’s moot court program into the top 10 in the nation, marking a university first and raising the bar for future competitors.

“SVSU confirmed this week that it has had its best year in the history of moot court,” said Julie Keil, SVSU professor of political science and moot court advisor since the program’s inception.

The American Moot Court Association recently released its ranking of top programs for the 2023-2024 season, which began May 1, 2023, and concluded in February. Overall, SVSU ranked ninth, finishing second in appellate brief writing and 21st in oral advocacy. SVSU placed ahead of the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia, among others.

Thirty-six SVSU students participated in moot court for the 2023-24 season:

  • Nikolas Baker, a political science major from Standish.
  • Toni Gjerkaj, a political science major from Sterling Heights.
  • Jason Hoang, a political science major from Saginaw.
  • Noah Johnson, a political science major from Lake Orion.
  • Kennedy Kreger, a political science major from Battle Creek.
  • Rylee Livesay, a history major from Midland.
  • Emily Martin, a political science major from Tawas City, who graduated in December.
  • Diva Patel, a cell biology, molecular biology and biomedical sciences major from Kawkawlin.
  • Jeffrey Ramsey, a December political science graduate from Greenwood.
  • Ethan Rose, a political science major from Ypsilanti.
  • Payton Stemmerich, a psychology major from Clinton Township.
  • Seth Taylor, a history major from Auburn.
  • Abigail Walk, a management major from Saginaw.
  • Mariah Averill, a political science major from Saginaw.
  • Owen Bacigalupo, a sociology major from Bay City.
  • Kaydince Badour, a finance major from Bay City.
  • Eric Durette, a political science major from China, Michigan.
  • Shane Fulcher, a pre-law major from Clio.
  • Isabella Hill, a criminal justice major from Cass City.
  • Brayden Jarvis, a political science major from Rhodes, Michigan.
  • Gabby Kline, a criminal justice major from Midland.
  • Abbey Lewis, a political science major from Saranac, Michigan.
  • Piper Luke, a political science major from Howell.
  • Jaime McArthur, a criminal justice major from Madison Heights.
  • Maximilian Olivarez, a sociology major from Saginaw.
  • Alex Parks, a political science major from New Baltimore.
  • Alyssa Parsons, a political science major from Owosso, who graduated in December 2023.
  • Sophia Potter, a political science major from Waterford.
  • Nicholas Randall, a business major from Washington, Michigan, who graduated in December 2023.
  • Antony Souss, a criminal justice major from Marine City.
  • Kylie Spiekerman, a political science major from Saginaw.
  • Cole Starke, a political science major from Saginaw.
  • Dahlia Terry, a political science major from Wayland.
  • Larkin West, a history major from Saginaw.
  • Ryan Wiley, a political science major from Marine City.
  • Cam Windy, a management major from Saginaw.

Joining Keil as coaches were Amy Hendrickson, SVSU professor of law, and Kevin Lorentz, SVSU assistant professor of political science.

Hendrickson praised the students for their dedication to the program.

“With a season that begins May first and ends sometime in February, success requires commitment,” she said. “Every student who shared an idea or asked a tough question throughout those months of preparation made the team better.”  

Kennedy Kreger, who will graduate in May, credits moot court with preparing her for law school. She will attend the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville in the fall.

“Through moot court I have been able to participate in three regional competitions, and I qualified and competed in two national competitions. I have gotten the experience of creating oral arguments in front of lawyers and judges from around the country, and I have been able to write a legal brief which placed top 10 in the nation,” Kreger said. “I do not believe that I would be as prepared or know this much about the legal field had I gone to another university.”

Lorentz commented, “Our students remain the key to our program’s year-over-year success in the American Moot Court Association’s competitions. This is especially true this year given our success in the brief writing competition, where students composed legal briefs without the assistance of their coaches or fellow teammates. Our students out-competed great teams from across the nation, including the University of Chicago, Yale University, Patrick Henry College and Georgetown University, among others, leading to our success.

“I’m incredibly proud of our students who put in countless hours in and outside the classroom. I also wish to thank the numerous assistant coaches, alumni and members of the regional legal community who assisted with preparing our team this season.”

Each year, AMCA presents a case problem — based on real case law — for use in its oral and written competitions. AMCA will release the case for the 2024-2025 competition season in May.