The UB Law Team (left to right): PK White '27, Coach Katherine A. England '25, Brooklynn A. Flowers '27, Katherine Huppé '26 and Carlo N. Cancellieri '27.
UB Law hosts 22nd Annual Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition
Buffalo was buzzing with energy and excitement from October 24–26, 2025, when UB Law welcomed 26 law schools from across the country for the 22nd Annual Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition, one of the largest and most prestigious national invitationals in the country.
This year’s fictitious case, People v. Feldts, was masterfully crafted by Hon. Thomas P. Franczyk with the final round presided over by Hon. Henry J. Nowak ’93, associate justice, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department. The semi-final rounds saw Hon. Meredith A. Vacca ’05, U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of New York and Michael Keane ’92, Erie County District Attorney, take the bench, bringing real-world gravitas to the mock trial courtroom.
The competition was fierce, with teams trying both sides of a homicide case before panels of seasoned judges and trial attorneys in the preliminary rounds. Ultimately, Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law took top honors, with University of Missouri Kansas City placing second. Deandre Bell of Texas Southern earned the coveted Best Advocate Award, given in memory of Matthew Schnirel ’08, a beloved former member of UB Law’s national trial teams.
UB Law’s own team—Carlo N. Cancellieri ’27, Brooklynn A. Flowers ’27, Katherine “Kate” Huppé ’26 and PK White ’27 —made an impressive showing, earning a fifth-place finish. They were coached by Ron Winter ’81, a former prosecutor for the Niagara County DA’s office and retired principal law clerk; Alyssa Jordan Pantzer ’14, assistant New York State attorney general; Katherine A. England ’25, Addelman Cross & Baldwin, P.C.; and Cathleen Roemer ’13, assistant district attorney, Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Support Our Trial Teams at our upcoming
Black Friday Fundraiser
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
5 p.m. at the Sportsmen's Tavern
[View Details]
Questions? Contact Jennifer Scharf '05,
Co-Director of The Advocacy Institute,
jrscharf@buffalo.edu
“I had no idea how committed, coachable and competitive these young students would be,” says Winter, “but they worked hard and came to our sessions prepared and ready to be instructed on how they could improve. Working with them and the other coaches was one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.”
Jennifer R. Scharf ’05, co-director of the law school’s Advocacy Institute and vice dean for career services, echoed the sentiment: “Seeing first-time competitors perform with such composure and excellence on a national stage is extraordinary. Their fifth-place finish speaks not only to their dedication and preparation but also to the exceptional mentorship of their coaches.”
This year’s competition also marked a meaningful expansion in civic engagement. For the first time, high school students from public schools across Western New York served as jurors in the opening round. The initiative was led by Fonda D. Kubiak ’94, assistant federal public defender and a longtime coach and advocate for the Trial Teams Program, with help from Lisa Bauer, the law school’s director of competitions and assistant dean for career services.
The effort, expanding on the WDNY’s Civic Outreach program, aimed to educate young people about jury service and diversify the juror pool. Scharf and Kubiak visited local schools leading up to the competition to provide instruction. Special thanks go to the Eighth Judicial District for their support, especially Hon. Amy C. Martoche ’99, administrative judge; Tasha E. Moore ’98, district executive; and Brandon A. Portis ’99, principal court attorney.
The success of the Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition is a testament to the power of the UB Law community. More than 150 attorneys from Buffalo and beyond volunteered as judges and evaluators—many for multiple rounds—while over 40 UB Law and undergraduate students served as bailiffs.
Behind the scenes, the Competition Committee worked tirelessly to ensure the event went smoothly. Committee members included Dawn Skopinski, associate director of The Advocacy Institute; Lisa Bauer; Caitlin O’Neil ’15, associate director of The Advocacy Institute; and trial team coaches Morgann Obrochta ’20, Elizabeth Vinal '22, and Jane Kent '24. Additional assistance was provided by Cassidy Jensen ’26 and Francesca Manzella ’26, trial advocacy teaching assistants.
Carlo N. Cancellieri ’27
Carlo N. Cancellieri ’27
“I had an incredible experience competing in the Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition, where I met and learned from talented law students from across the country. Having really enjoyed participating in moot court and mock trial during my undergraduate years at SUNY Brockport, I was eager to get back into the courtroom environment, and this competition reminded me why I loved it so much. This experience not only strengthened my advocacy skills but also helped me realize that I genuinely enjoy litigation, despite initially thinking I wanted to focus solely on transactional work.”
Brooklynn A. Flowers ’27
Brooklynn A. Flowers ’27
"I chose to compete in the Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition because I wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone and continue developing as an advocate. The experience challenged me in new ways and reminded me how much growth comes from leaning into discomfort and trusting your instincts. Most importantly, it showed me how important it is to have a supportive, collaborative team and a co-counsel you can trust completely."
Katherine “Kate” Huppé ’26
Katherine “Kate” Huppé ’26
“I thoroughly enjoyed competing on behalf of UB Law at our very own Buffalo-Niagara Mock Trial Competition. I had the opportunity to work alongside intelligent and hard-working classmates, while learning from inspiring local attorneys. When I started law school, I had no interest in litigation, and have, since, completely changed my perspective and look forward to using these skills in my career!”
PK White ’27
PK White ’27
"This was an amazing experience. It was a great way to build confidence in yourself, and trust in your teammates along with being a great supplemental tool in learning evidence. It seemed like our coaches wanted us to succeed just as much as we wanted to, and that added pressure ended up making our team do really well.”