The UMKC School of Law’s Moot Court Competition team was one of the top eight teams in the country at the 2025 National Moot Court Competition, co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and New York City Bar Association.
More than 145 teams from 108 law schools competed in this year’s competition, considered one of the most prestigious in the country. This is the second time in three years that a UMKC team has won the regional competition and participated in the national rounds.
“I could not have asked for a better team,” said Steve Leben, moot court team coach, associate dean of the law school and former appellate judge. “These results show that our students can compete with students from any law school in the country. Fortunately for the Kansas City legal community, all three of them plan to stay in town after graduation.”
The competition includes writing an appellate brief and making oral arguments for a hypothetical legal case. Students on the team argue for the petitioner and respondent sides. The UMKC School of Law team was made up of third-year law students Sidney Bach-Norman, Emma Piazza and Helene Slinker.
“Participating in the National Moot Court Competition was the best experience I’ve had while in law school,” Piazza said. “It was a great opportunity to meet students from other law schools and gain helpful feedback from attorneys that I wouldn’t otherwise be connected to. This competition gave me valuable skills that will translate well into my career as an attorney.”
Piazza was named the top speaker in the five-state regional competition, held in November. The team won five rounds in their regional competition, becoming undefeated champions and earning their place in the national tournament. They won three rounds at nationals before narrowly losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual runner-up team from the University of Iowa.
“This was my first time visiting New York City, and it was an unforgettable experience,” Bach-Norman said. “The competition was incredible, and I will always treasure the opportunity to co-counsel with Emma and Helene and be coached by Judge Leben.”
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