Photo caption, L to R: Coach Ayodale Tan, Elizabeth Beck, Indya Gettings, Emmett Reilly, Rabeea Ola.
The Temple Rosner National Trial Team once again elevated its reputation for sustained excellence, taking second place in the National Trial League championship, held in Syracuse over the weekend of January 31-February 1, 2026.
The National Trial League schedule offered a unique competition format. During the fall semester, 14 teams nationwide competed in seven online rounds of mock trials. Each round introduced an entirely new case file, requiring teams to quickly master new facts, identify evidentiary issues, develop legal theories, prepare witnesses, and execute all phases of a jury trial on an accelerated timeline. Advancement to the in-person competition in the spring was determined by cumulative performance across all seven rounds in the fall, requiring consistency rather than a single strong showing. Only the top four teams nationwide advanced to the in-person national championship, making qualification itself a significant achievement.
The Temple Rosner National Trial Team squad included nine students: 2Ls Emmett Reilly and Indya Gettings; 3Ls Elizabeth Beck, Rabeea Ola, Amir Borghaei, Miron Sergeev, Tom Loudenslager, and Steven Armstrong; and 3LE Jennifer Levito.
Head coach Ayodale Tan coordinated the program and guided the students throughout the season. He was joined in Syracuse by Dorothy Hayes (JD ’24), also a recent standout member of the trial team. They were joined during the fall semester by a committed team of faculty and alumni coaches, including Professor Jules Epstein, Erika Storms, Professor Elizabeth Lippy (JD ’03), Nick Guth (JD ’20), Chris DiRienzi (JD ’25), Rachel Berson (JD ’24), Chris Moore (JD ’23), Timmy Miller (JD ’23), Zoe Appler, and Dominique Montoya (JD ’20).
“I am so proud of the hard work and dedication of the nine advocates who participated in the National Trial League competition,” said Coach Tan. “They each exemplify what it means to be a Temple lawyer. Since August, they have competed in seven preliminary rounds, three final rounds, and one championship round. No matter what challenge came their way, the advocates rose to the occasion and delivered.”
Temple was represented in the in-person championship rounds by Emmett Reilly, Indya Gettings, Elizabeth Beck, and Rabeea Ola. The squad emphasized both the importance of teamwork and the professional growth they gained from the experience. “It was truly gratifying to see how the hard work of my teammates, our coaches, and myself had set us apart from the other competing schools,” said Reilly. “As a team, we were either laughing together, or trying to be the best advocates in the room, and I think that’s why we had the results we did.” Rabeea Ola concurred: “Being able to see not just your efforts pay off, but your teammates’ as well makes competing so much more meaningful.”
For Indya Gettings, the squad’s cohesion as a team offered support as she stretched into a new sense of herself professionally. “It was a great experience to compete and hone my skills while learning from my peers, and I’m so happy that this is only the beginning of my journey on such a talented team,” she said. “My coaches and teammates truly made it a memorable, positive experience, and I feel that the emphasis we placed on teamwork as well as evidence rules and courtroom etiquette directly contributed to our success.” And for Elizabeth Beck, it was a fitting moment as she concludes her trial team career. “Standing in that final courtroom, I felt how far I’ve come not just in skill, but in confidence, judgment, and trust in my own voice as an advocate. Sharing this last competition with my teammates, leaning on each other under pressure, and finishing as finalists made it feel like a giant step into the lawyer I am becoming and the kind of colleague I hope to be,” she said.
The student advocates who competed in last fall’s seven online rounds also leaned on trust and teamwork to perform with such excellence under pressure. “When you talk about teamwork and trial work being a true team sport, that idea really came to life through the National Trial League competition this past fall,” said Jennifer Levito. “From August 26, 2025 through the end of January, there were nine of us carrying the baton – preparing week after week, handing it off to the next group, and trusting each other to take it the rest of the way.” Tom Laudenslager found the pace and pressure to be good practice for real life. “I thought it was a great experience because of the short timeline to prepare. Normally for a trial tournament you have months to prepare. For this, it was only two to three weeks, which is a lot closer to a real trial,” he said. Levito agreed. “What stood out most was how much this competition depended on preparation, trust, and showing up for one another,” she said. “No one was working in isolation. Each performance was built on the work that came before it, and every group benefited from the collective effort, feedback, and commitment of the NTL team as a whole. It was a really meaningful experience to be part of something that so clearly reflected what trial work actually is, collaborative, demanding, and driven by shared responsibility. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for everyone who made the season what it was.”
Miron Sergeev shared his gratitude to the coaches and pride in Temple Law: “Our coaches cultivated strong communication skills and taught us the value of teamwork as trial attorneys. Huge thank you to our coaches and directors for organizing us so well and training us in the best practices of trial advocacy and ethical lawyering! I’m happy that Temple’s National Trial Team became an NTL finalist!” “”Whenever you compete on behalf of Temple you want do the name justice,” added Steven Armstrong. “Temple is a giant in the trial advocacy world and it’s our responsibility to carry the flame, and everyone on the team is proud to take it on.”
“The structure of this competition mirrors the realities of modern trial practice: rapidly evolving case files, high-stakes decision-making, teamwork under pressure, and sustained performance over time,” said Professor Elizabeth Lippy, a 2003 graduate who now directs Temple’s trial advocacy program. “Advancing to the top four nationally—and finishing second overall—demonstrates the strength of Temple Law’s experiential advocacy training and our students’ ability to perform at an elite national level. It also reflects the extraordinary commitment of faculty and alumni coaches who invest significant time and expertise in student development. This achievement meaningfully enhances Temple’s national reputation in trial advocacy and underscores our program’s emphasis on practice-ready legal education.”
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 Temple Rosner National Trial Team on an outstanding performance in the National Trial League competition!