By 1808Delaware
Twelve students from Ohio Wesleyan University spent the fall semester doing something most undergraduates never experience. They stepped into simulated appellate courtrooms, fielded tough questions from judges, and learned how to argue both sides of complicated constitutional questions under pressure.
The students competed in regional tournaments sponsored by the American Moot Court Association, facing nearly 1,000 competitors from colleges and universities across the country.
Their strongest showing came at the Akron Law Regional Tournament, where junior Jaelyn Cooper of Reynoldsburg emerged as Ohio Wesleyan’s top finisher and ranked among the Top 30 individual orators.
A Breakthrough Performance in Akron
Cooper teamed with junior Isabel Milner of Riverton, Utah, to post a 2–1 record in preliminary rounds at the tournament held at the University of Akron School of Law. The pair advanced to the Round of 16 and finished ninth overall, placing them among the strongest teams in the field.
They were not alone. Two other Ohio Wesleyan teams also competed in Akron. Seniors Rin Anderson of Highland Park, Illinois, and Candi Bowman of Marion, Ohio, joined juniors Kyle Barnes of Painesville and Caitlin Calvin of Prospect. Barnes and Calvin also reached the Round of 16, finishing 16th overall. For many of the students, it was their first exposure to legal reasoning at this level. That learning curve did not slow them down.
A Second Test in Columbus
Ohio Wesleyan also sent three teams to the Capital Classic Regional Tournament at the Capital University Law School. Those teams included sophomores Katie Strickland of Findlay and Rahnney Woodfork of Hilliard, sophomores Zach Hertzberg of Cedar Park, Texas, and James Hammel of Hallam, Pennsylvania, and juniors Vincent Sack of North Olmsted and Heath Miller of Ottawa. Sack and Miller finished among the Top 24 teams, and Sack earned a place in the Top 40 individual orators.
Senior Jacob Dougher of Willowick contributed to the season by writing a competition brief rather than arguing in court, an equally demanding part of the process.
Coaching Grounded in Experience
The team was coached by Katie Berger, an Ohio Wesleyan graduate from the Class of 2016 who knows the competition well. As a student, Berger earned multiple top orator awards and finished in the Top 5 nationally at the AMCA National Championship Tournament.
After Ohio Wesleyan, Berger earned her law degree from the The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she continued to compete in moot court. She later practiced business and tort litigation in Columbus before becoming a law clerk for a federal district court judge. Berger said this year’s students stood out not just for performance, but for how they worked together. She described a team culture where students eagerly debated legal principles, supported each other after eliminations, and stayed to watch and cheer on teammates who advanced to later rounds.
What Moot Court Really Teaches
The competitions simulated appellate court arguments, requiring students to present legal positions and respond in real time to judges’ questions. This year’s case focused on whether a university admissions policy that gave preferential weight to female applicants violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the 1st Amendment. Preparation began over the summer and continued into the fall. Students reviewed case law, built arguments for both sides, practiced oral presentations, and drilled on handling difficult questions without losing composure.
Berger is clear-eyed about the value of that work. Moot court, she says, is not just for future lawyers. Students come away with sharper critical thinking, stronger writing, and greater confidence speaking under pressure. They learn time management, teamwork, and how to anticipate counterarguments. Those skills transfer easily to careers far beyond the legal field.
Ohio Wesleyan’s moot court season shows what happens when undergraduates are trusted with serious, demanding work. The results speak for themselves, but so does the experience students carry forward.
Students interested in joining Ohio Wesleyan’s moot court team can contact Berger at ktberger@owu.edu.
Source: OWU; Photo: Participating in the Capital Classic Regional competition in Columbus are (from left) Katie Strickland, Rahnney Woodfork, Heath Miller, Zach Hertzberg, James Hammel, and Vincent Sack.
