National Trial Competition

Adam Leydig graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 2020. He is from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. During his years at Syracuse Law, he was won the Tiffany Cup in both 2019 and 2020. Additionally, he placed 5th at Baylor Law’s Top Gun competition in 2020, finished 3rd at the 2019 Tournament of Champions competition, and was a quarterfinalist at the NTC National competition in 2019. During those competitions, Adam was awarded the 2020 International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocacy Award, an Order of the Barristers, Best Opening Statement at the 2020 NTC Regional, Best Overall Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds at TOC in 2019, Best Cross Examination at NTC 2019, and Best Overall Advocate for Region 2 in 2019. Currently, Adam is waiting to take the Pennsylvania Bar and has accepted a position as an associate at a Harrisburg criminal defense firm.

Ariel Blanco was born in Miami, Florida. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Mississippi. He served in the United States Navy Reserve and deployed to the Middle East in 2016. As a law student at Syracuse University, he was a member of the National Trial Team. His team finished 3rd at the Tournament of Champions and won the National Trial Competition regional. He earned membership in the Order of the Barristers. He graduated from Syracuse in May 2020. Ariel is currently a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and upon admission to the New York bar will serve on active duty as a Judge Advocate.

Christy O’Neil is a third year law student at Syracuse University College of Law. Along with her teammates, Christy finished third in the 2019 Tournament of Champions competition and advanced to nationals in the 2020 National Trial Competition. In addition, Christy was a semifinalist in the 2020 National Online Trial Advocacy Competition where she competed against 170 students from 67 law schools. Currently, Christy is a member of the 2020 Tournament of Champions trial team and Syracuse Law Review.

Lisa J. Cole is a joint degree JD/MBA student at Syracuse University. Upon graduation, Lisa will be joining Cahill, Gordon, & Reindel LLP in Manhattan. Lisa competed in the Tournament of Champions and the National Trial Competition her 2L year–she attributes her success to her trial partner, Ariel. Outside of trial team Lisa is the Business Editor of the Law Review and Treasurer of the Women’s Law Student Association.

Sandra Jovic is a third-year student at St. John’s Law School, where she competes with the Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute and serves as its External Competitions Director. Before competing at the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition last spring, winning Best Direct Examination, Ms. Jovic helped her team advance to the final round at Quinnipiac’s Trial Advocacy Competition. At Quinnipiac, she was awarded Best Direct Examination and was recognized as runner up Best Overall Advocate at the tournament. Before that, she competed four years with Fordham Lincoln Center’s mock trial team, winning a number of individual awards. As someone who has interned at various prosecutorial offices, as well as the Legal Aid Society, Ms. Jovic is constantly thinking about the role of the prosecutor in the criminal justice system. This past summer, she interned with the New York County District Attorney’s Office as a law fellow in Special Narcotics. In October, her team will compete at the National All Star Bracket Challenge.”

Joe Celotto hails from a little town called Elma, outside of Buffalo, NY. Joe attended Nazareth College of Rochester, where he enrolled in their 3+3 program. This had the effect of sending him to law school before he could legally drink; depriving him of a vital law school coping mechanism for a few months. Joe is now a 3rd year law student at Syracuse University College of Law. In the fall of 2019, he was able to compete in his hometown in the Buffalo-Niagara Trial Competition; his team finishing in third place. Following this, Joe competed in the 2020 National Trial Competition, where he and his teammates won the northeast regional competition. Joe also won best advocate in the final round in that competition. Joe is set to compete in the National Civil Trial Competition in 2020.

Joanne Van Dyke was a founding partner in Cotè & Van Dyke, LLP, a firm which specializes in helping victims and their families in medical malpractice, products liability & personal injury. She has held positions on the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County Bar Association, the Assigned Counsel Program, and the Central New York Women’s Bar Association.

In 1987, Ms. Van Dyke graduated from Syracuse Law, and in 2004, she began teaching at Syracuse University College of Law. In 2009, Ms. Van Dyke received a LLM in Trial Advocacy from Temple University, Beasley School of Law.

Ms. Van Dyke has been actively involved in the Syracuse Trial Advocacy Program, which is one of the top ranked programs according to U.S. News & World Reports. In 1996, she began coaching the Syracuse National Trial Teams. She has hosted various trial competitions, and is the co-director of the Syracuse National Trial Competition. Since 2014, Ms. Van Dyke has been on the Board of Directors of the Tournament of Champions. According to Ms. Van Dyke, the law school’s trial advocacy program “helps law students take their knowledge of the law and apply it to real problems presented by clients in a mock trial competition setting. The students are able to develop the skills of interviewing and counseling clients, writing about their legal issues, and learning how to effectively and ethically educate their clients position in and out of the court room.

Peter has been an Assistant District Attorney in Syracuse, New York since April of 2014. He presently prosecutes crimes against children and incidents of domestic violence. Originally from Western New York, Peter attended St. John Fisher College, in Rochester, and the University of Buffalo Law School, in Amherst. He competed on several trial teams and graduated in 2004. Soon after graduating from law school, Peter began coaching mock trial teams at the high school level and evaluating trial competitions. He feels blessed to be able to continue teaching future trial lawyers at Syracuse University College of Law with the encouragement and guidance of extraordinary administrators, professors, coaches and students. Peter is married to his college sweetheart, Becky, and has two kids, Robbie and Ella. “Every day, my family reminds me that despite my love for the courtroom, my life…our lives go far beyond witness stands and jury boxes. I believe, we need to leave the world better than we found it. One small way I can try to do just that is to follow the advice of my trial team coaches back at UBLaw and ’give back’.” Peter extends his sincere thanks for this great honor. In his professional career, it pales only to those moments when he has seen his team members begin to realize their true potential. He says those moments are what keeps him coming back.

First Lieutenant Dennis T. Scanlon is a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. He was born in Syracuse, NY in May 1992. After graduating magna cum laude from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2015, he received a full-ride scholarship to attend Syracuse University College of Law as a College of Law Trustees Scholar.

While attending law school, Dennis dedicated much of his time to developing his trial advocacy skills and competing in trial competitions throughout the country. A few highlights include receiving the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award and the NYSBA Tiffany Cup Award, as well as being inducted into the Order of Barristers. He also worked federal appeals cases at a small law firm, and he volunteered as a Pro Bono Legal Intern.

In 2018, Dennis joined the Marine Corps in order to serve and practice law as a judge advocate (JAG). After swearing into the New York State Bar in January 2020, he worked at the Pentagon in Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps. Soon, he will attend Naval Justice School in Newport, RI, where he will undergo training that will allow him to act as trial or defense counsel at military courts-martial.

Dennis is married to Erika Scanlon, and together they have two children, Kennedy (6) and Addison (2), and they are expecting their third child in December 2020. He is a coffee enthusiast and a dedicated runner, and he enjoys road trips with his family.

Adam Leydig graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 2020. He is from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. During his years at Syracuse Law, he was won the Tiffany Cup in both 2019 and 2020. Additionally, he placed 5th at Baylor Law’s Top Gun competition in 2020, finished 3rd at the 2019 Tournament of Champions competition, and was a quarterfinalist at the NTC National competition in 2019. During those competitions, Adam was awarded the 2020 International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocacy Award, an Order of the Barristers, Best Opening Statement at the 2020 NTC Regional, Best Overall Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds at TOC in 2019, Best Cross Examination at NTC 2019, and Best Overall Advocate for Region 2 in 2019. Currently, Adam is waiting to take the Pennsylvania Bar and has accepted a position as an associate at a Harrisburg criminal defense firm.

Joanne Van Dyke was a founding partner in Cotè & Van Dyke, LLP, a firm which specializes in helping victims and their families in medical malpractice, products liability & personal injury. She has held positions on the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County Bar Association, the Assigned Counsel Program, and the Central New York Women’s Bar Association.

In 1987, Ms. Van Dyke graduated from Syracuse Law, and in 2004, she began teaching at Syracuse University College of Law. In 2009, Ms. Van Dyke received a LLM in Trial Advocacy from Temple University, Beasley School of Law.

Ms. Van Dyke has been actively involved in the Syracuse Trial Advocacy Program, which is one of the top ranked programs according to U.S. News & World Reports. In 1996, she began coaching the Syracuse National Trial Teams. She has hosted various trial competitions, and is the co-director of the Syracuse National Trial Competition. Since 2014, Ms. Van Dyke has been on the Board of Directors of the Tournament of Champions. According to Ms. Van Dyke, the law school’s trial advocacy program “helps law students take their knowledge of the law and apply it to real problems presented by clients in a mock trial competition setting. The students are able to develop the skills of interviewing and counseling clients, writing about their legal issues, and learning how to effectively and ethically educate their clients position in and out of the court room.