The University of Wisconsin Law School Mock Trial program started 2026 strong by hosting a regional event and gaining valuable experience in two competitions.

Texas Young Lawyers Association Competition

On Jan. 30-Feb. 1, the UW Law hosted the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) regional competition at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison.

Twenty teams from throughout the Midwest competed for the opportunity to participate in the championship in Texas in April. As part of this competition, UW Law hosted over 90 attorneys and judges and more than 100 students and community members who participated as advocates, coaches and judges. A reception at the Edgewater Hotel for all judges and student participants announced the teams advancing to the final rounds.

The TYLA competition was a great success, thanks in large part to Mock Trial executive board members Patti Needham, Tamara Hyman and Heather Kuebel, and Professor Andrew Norman. They did whatever it took to help, from being witnesses, moving around judges who had conflicts, setting up the food, training the witnesses and cleaning up courtrooms. A special shout-out to Casey Needham as well, who checked in participants and helped in any way needed.

UW Law entered two teams into the competition.

The first team -- Justin Davis, Parker Friedrich and Amber Gaylord -- was coached by attorney Matthew VanKeulen. It ranked second-highest in the competition after the first three rounds and was one of only eight teams to advance to the semifinal round. Ultimately, it missed advancing to the final round by one point.

The second Wisconsin team -- Sara Berman, Holly Krabbe and Cameron Kohlmann -- was coached by attorney Morgan Stippel and also performed very well. It won two of three competitions and missed advancing to the semifinals by a few points.

American Association of Justice Competition

Two teams participated in the American Association of Justice (AAJ) competition March 5-8. One team competed in Chicago, and the other competed virtually.

The team of Genevieve Torrey, Daniel Kiefer, Ryan Arlandson and Zoe Gunderson was coached by Marisol González Castillo and won two of their first three trials and advanced to the semifinals, but lost to the eventual winner of the regional competition. The team received compliments from several of the judges; one of the opposing coaches commented, “Your team was VERY impressive, especially Ms. Gunderson. They were clearly well-coached. … You should be proud of them both.”

The second team, Julia Stephenson, Jake Schlosser, Denise Jackson and Isaias Campos, coached by attorney Marisol Gonzalez Castillo, competed at the national competition in Chicago. The team did not advance, but they learned a great deal, advanced their trial skills and enjoyed the competition.

Students in Mock Trial work hard throughout the year. As Parker Friedrich put it:

“Competing on the trial team has been the most enriching part of my law school experience, and I will genuinely miss our meetings in the months leading to graduation. And to the team - thank you for being such dedicated and hard-working competitors. You set a high standard that pushed me to be the best version of myself. I hope our paths cross again in the (real) courtroom someday.”

Submitted by Law School News on April 8, 2026

This article appears in the categories: Features