Boston University School of Law Wins National Moot Court Competition
Boston University School of Law achieved a historic victory at the 75th Annual National Moot Court Competition, marking the first time BU Law has won the National Moot Court Champion title. The winning team—Preetham Chippada (’25), Henry Drembus (’25), and Michael Gorman (’25)—secured the championship after six consecutive rounds of oral argument, ultimately triumphing over the University of Iowa College of Law in the final round. Henry Drembus (’25) was also awarded Best Oralist in the Final Round.
The 2025 Record on Appeal for the competition presented competitors with two issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Article III standing. The first issue questioned whether a family of disabled individuals had legal standing to bring an ADA claim against an all-inclusive resort due to its lack of website accessibility. The second issue examined whether the resort’s amusement park rider eligibility criteria met the ADA’s standard for being “necessary.”
The competition, co-sponsored by the New York City Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers, is one of the nation’s most prestigious Moot Court tournaments, drawing 148 teams from over 108 law schools across the country. After advancing through regional rounds, BU Law’s team competed against several law schools, including South Texas College of Law Houston, the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Regent University School of Law, Fordham School of Law, and the University of Georgia School of Law, before reaching the finals.
The final round was judged by an esteemed panel, including Muhammad Faridi, President of the New York City Bar Association; Richard H. Deane, Jr., President of the American College of Trial Lawyers; Hon. Eunice Lee, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Hon. Jenny Rivera, New York State Court of Appeals; and Hon. Ellen Gesmer, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, First Department.
“Although BU Law teams have won the Region 1 rounds many times over the school’s history, the win at Nationals marks the first time the BU Law team has ever advanced out of the preliminary rounds at the National Competition,” says executive director of advocacy and legal skills Jennifer Taylor McCloskey. “In fact, no Region 1 school has won Nationals except for Boston College, which won twice in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Our region is extremely collegial, and this felt like win for all the New England schools that compete at the Region 1 competition every year.”
The team’s victory was celebrated with a party at BU Law on Friday, February 21. Additionally, the team will be honored at the American College of Trial Lawyers Fellows Dinner in Boston on April 11.
For more details on the competition, visit the New York City Bar Association’s website. A recording of the final round is available here.