UCLA School of Law’s A. Barry Cappello Trial Team completed another dominant month in March. Already ranked No. 1 in the nation, the team won the National Ethics Trial Competition, took second place at the South Texas Challenge, and finished in third place at the Capitol City Challenge. Each virtual tournament included more than 30 law schools.

The National Ethics Trial Competition, hosted by the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, involved a malpractice suit against a lawyer who simultaneously represented clients in the liquor and marijuana industries, creating an alleged conflict. The victorious UCLA Law team included Regina Campbell ’22, Kenneth Capesius ’22, Sarah Stebbins ’22, and Seth Wacks ’22, and was coached by Houston litigator Alex Bluebond.

The South Texas Challenge, hosted by South Texas College of Law, involved a negligence lawsuit against a day care center whose vaccination policy resulted in a measles outbreak. The UCLA Law team included Emily Owen ’21, Rocky Maas ’22, Jack Eyers ’21, and Enrico Trevisani ’22, and was coached by Bay Area prosecutor Aidan Welsh ’19 and corporate litigator Mikayla Wasiri ’20.

The Capitol City Challenge, hosted by the American University Washington College of Law, involved allegations of gambling fraud stemming from a real-life professional football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. The UCLA Law team included Pauline Alarcon ’22, Andrew Gordon ’22, Brady Schoenlein ’22, and Kevin Shang ’22, and was coached by Cincinnati litigator Melissa Watt.

Like many of the students who participated in the competitions, Gordon is looking forward to a successful courtroom career. “I want to be a prosecutor when I graduate,” he says, “and my experience on our trial team makes me feel ready to try a case on Day 1.”

Thirteen UCLA Law teams and 20 students have reached the playoff rounds in trial competitions this season. The first-place finish at the National Ethics Trial Competition is UCLA Law’s seventh tournament victory this season, the most in the country.