The Best Brief Competition is an annual event that recognizes outstanding legal writing by first-year students. The Legal Analysis, Advocacy, and Writing (LAAW) faculty select the best briefs written by their students for the spring semester trial brief assignment. The winner is chosen in a two-step process, first by a panel of Wisconsin attorneys and then by a panel of law school faculty.
For the Spring 2025 Best Brief Competition, the LAAW professors chose 20 students' trial briefs. The semi-finalists are Yasmeen Asfoor, Justin Barham, Mikayla Bird, Ellie Dellenbach, Conor Green, Isabelle Hoffman, Alyssa Laufenberg, Ariel Leykin, Prescott E. Miller, Lucia Pechloff, Leslie Rapp, Eric Roman-Binhammer, Will Schwegel, Erin Seifert, Emily Smith, Sarah Stout, Dallas Tilley, Lillian VanHandel, Charlie Wied, and Stella Yang Zhang.
Congratulations to this year's Best Brief semi-finalists!
Recent Winners
2024 Best Brief Winners - Andrew Reed and Kaitlyn Spiegl
For the first time in the competition's 22-year history, two briefs tied for first place.
Winner Kaitlyn Spiegl, Class of 2026, and Dean Daniel Tokaji.
2023 Best Brief Winner - Amber Renee Quinlan
LRW I Professor Andrew Norman, LRW II Professor Ashby Fox, Winner Amber Renee Quinlan, Class of 2025, and Dean Daniel Tokaji.
2022 Best Brief Winner - Nicholas Surprise
LR&W II Professor Ashby Fox, Winner Nicholas Surprise, Class of 2024, and Dean Daniel Tokaji. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Kim Peterson.)
2021 Best Brief Winner - Jacob Aaron Neeley
Dean Daniel Tokaji, Winner Jacob Aaron Neeley, Class of 2023, and LR&W II Professor Ashby Fox. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Alison Stites.)
Previous Winners
2010-2020 Winners
2020 Best Brief Winner - Kyle J. Clark
LR&W II Professor Andrew Turner, Winner Kyle J. Clark, Class of 2022, and Dean Daniel Tokaji. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Ashby Fox.)
2019 Best Brief Winner - Olivia Schwartz
LR&W II Professor Andrew Turner, Winner Olivia Schwartz, Class of 2021, and Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Sarah Hadjimarkos.)
2018 Best Brief Winner - Sarah Wertz
LR&W II Professor Trina Tinglum; Winner Sarah Wertz, Class of 2020; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Ursula Weigold.)
2017 Best Brief Winner - Lindsey Rose Klarkowski
LR&W II Professor Sarah Hadjimarkos; Winner Lindsey Rose Klarkowski, Class of 2019; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Kim Peterson.)
2016 Best Brief Winner - Laura E. Schroeder
LR&W II Professor Margaret Baumgartner; Winner Laura E. Schroeder, Class of 2018; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Andrew Turner.)
2015 Best Brief Winner - Joseph S. Diedrich
LR&W II Professor Margaret Baumgartner; Winner Joseph S. Diedrich, Class of 2017; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Sarah Hadjimarkos.)
2014 Best Brief Winner - Catherine E. White
LR&W II Professor Margaret Baumgartner; Winner Catherine E. White, Class of 2016; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Mullen Dowdal.)
2013 Best Brief Winner - 1L - Daniel Poniatowski
Dean Margaret Raymond; Winner Daniel Poniatowski, Class of 2015; LR&W II Professor Margaret Baumgartner. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Kim Peterson.)
2012-2013 Best Brief Winner - 2L - Bryce A. Schoenborn
LR&W II Professor Timothy Barber; Winner Bryce A. Schoenborn, Class of 2014; Dean Margaret Raymond. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Mullen Dowdal.)
2011 Best Brief Winner - Brian McCall
Dean Margaret Raymond; Winner Brian McCall, Class of 2013; LR&W II Professor Margaret Baumgartner. (Not pictured: LRW I Professor Julia Belt.)
2010 Best Brief Winner - David W. Staple
LR&W I & II Professor Deborah Moritz; Winner David W. Staple, Class of 2013; Dean Kenneth B. Davis.
2000-2009 Winners
2009 Best Brief Winner - Kyle Fry
Winner Kyle Fry, Class of 2011; Dean Kenneth B. Davis; LR&W Professor Mullen Dowdal.
2008 Best Brief Winner - Ryan Masse
Winner Ryan Masse, Class of 2010; LR&W Professor Margaret Baumgartner; Dean Kenneth B. Davis.
2007 Best Brief Winner - Emily Gold
LR&W Professors Deborah Moritz (not pictured), spring semester, and Margaret Baumgartner, fall semester; Winner Emily Gold, Class of 2009; Dean Kenneth B. Davis; Susan Steingass, Director of Communication & Advocacy Program
2006 Best Brief Winner - Eric Huston
Dean Kenneth B. Davis; Winner Eric Huston, Class of 2008; LR&W Professor Margaret Baumgartner.
2005 Best Brief Winner - Crystal Uebelher
Susan Steingass, Director of Communication and Advocacy Program; Winner Crystal Uebelher, Class of 2007; LR&W Professor Virginia Hayes; Dean Kenneth B. Davis; LR&W Professor Emily Kokie.
2004 Best Brief Winner - David Connally
No photo available.
Winner: David Connally, Class of 2006
LR&W Professors: Virginia Hayes, fall semester; Scott Peterson, spring semester.
2003 Best Brief Winner - Laura Schulteis
Winner Laura Schulteis, Class of 2005; Susan Steingass, Director of Communication and Advocacy Program; Dean Kenneth B. Davis.
Not pictured: LR&W Professors Joy Burkholder, fall semester, and Shunette Campbell, spring semester.
