Alumni coaching part of Moot Court's winning 'secret sauce'

Whether Cal State Long Beach students are competing in an academic or athletic arena, the path to excellence begins in the preseason.

Consider the Moot Court team, featuring undergraduates who frequently finish at or near the top of the national field in competitions simulating the kinds of cases that go to the Supreme Court. They commit to months of study, starting when Moot Court Director Lewis Ringel convenes summer sessions centered on a new season's case.

"Dr. Ringel takes the entire summer to go over the Supreme Court jurisprudence for our case and then, also, to practice rounds with us," fourth-year political science student Emily Atherley said. "I think Dr. Ringel is a wonderful guiding force in understanding Supreme Court decisions."

Atherley is one of four Beach students who advanced to the national round of the American Moot Court Association's 2025-26 season. She and teammate Kylie Barnhart advanced to the quarterfinals, ranking among the United States' top eight teams. CSULB's Lucy Sanzobrin and Shakhzoda Khodjakhonova also advanced to nationals, which took place in late February. Both pairs of students won recognition for the quality of their written briefs.

Competitors, sometimes called "Mooters," enroll in a dedicated Political Science Department class. Students in the fall course need to be ready to argue the season's hypothetical case by the first day of classes, Barnhart said.

"He does things in a manner of how law school is, which is just calling on you and getting you to be prepared and ready for all those answers," said Barnhart, a fourth-year political science student. "I learned really quickly."

Mooters receive additional support from volunteer coaches, a group that includes several alumni and practicing attorneys. Coaches help students understand the intricacies of case law and be at their best while competing in faraway venues.

"My alumni coaches are a good chunk of the secret sauce," Ringel said.