Two moot court teams at The University of Texas at Arlington have advanced to the preliminary round of the American Moot Court Association's National Tournament, where they'll vie for one of 32 spots in the final round.
UT Arlington students Jose Sparling and Timothy Flach, Danielle Pennycuff and America Renteria, will represent the University in January at the Texas Tech School of Law.
Sparling and Flach advanced after placing among the top four teams at the South Texas Regional at Texas A&M School of Law. Flach and Sparling were named Top Oralist and Second Best Oralist, respectively. Pennycuff and Renteria advanced after placing in the top eight at the Capital Classic Regional at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.
"It's been absolutely rewarding watching all of my students compete and see their confidence build, especially after all their successes," said 48th District Court Judge Christopher Taylor, head coach for the UTA moot court teams. "They put in a lot of work, but we also have a lot of fun. The way this season has come together makes it all worth it—it's just phenomenal."
Moot court is a simulated Supreme Court hearing in which participants present before a mock panel of judges and argue complex legal questions. Every year, the American Moot Court Association releases a case problem with two issues—this year focused on the first and 14th Constitutional amendments—and teams prepare by analyzing case law to build arguments for both sides.
Students in UTA's moot court are part of the pre-law program, and Judge Taylor says nothing prepares students for law school better.
"Usually if a law student does moot court as an undergraduate, they're already much further ahead because they're going in knowing how to read and digest cases and argue the ins and outs of case law," Taylor said. "At these tournaments, I start to get questions about my speaker—when they're going to graduate and what law schools they are looking to apply to. Moot court is a really good way to build those connections and, in most cases, receive scholarships to go to law school or prestigious internships."
In recent years, UTA's moot court alumni have been accepted and gone off to top law schools across Texas and the nation.
Sparling, a graduating history (pre-law) major, joined moot court on a whim during the summer of his sophomore year. Unsure at first what to expect, he stayed with the program and has now competed for three seasons.
After graduating this semester, Sparling will take time to prepare his law school application. He hopes to attend Texas Tech School of Law and become an environmental attorney.
"During my first regional in California, I realized I was arguing in front of a first amendment attorney, and it hit me that this was really a good opportunity for me to build my network—a switch in my head just went off," Sparling said.
He says UTA's teams compete against top programs from across the country.
"Seeing who we have opportunities to compete with and, most importantly win against, really builds our team morale, especially for a small pre-law program like ours," Sparling said. "There are so many opportunities to learn and to build strong connections. There are just so many benefits that come with doing moot court."
As team captain, Sparling says the program's strength comes from its collaborative culture.
"We're a small group, but we're all extremely supportive of each other, and we work really well together," he said. "We want to see each other succeed."
Judge Taylor and Assistant Coach 342nd District Court Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick hope to keep building strong UTA moot court teams, as they have over the past four years.
"We're working closely to see how we can get more freshman and sophomores involved, so by the time they become seniors they'll have a lot more experience and successes," Taylor said. "My goal and the next step I want to take is to build a program that feeds off of itself and continues having good outcomes for our students."
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
