Justice Barrett, Judge St. Eve, and Judge Davis preside over final round of second annual Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament | News | The Law School

Eight individuals, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett (sixth from left) in a brown plaid suit, stand smiling for a group photo. They are formally dressed in suits and dresses, in a room with large wood-framed windows. — *(left to right): Judge Amy J. St. Eve, Marin Larkin, Kathleen Casey, Alesis Juntunen, Thomas MacPhee, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Judge Stephanie Davis, and Dean G. Marcus Cole.*

Notre Dame Law School hosted the culminating rounds of the second annual Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament on November 21. The final round was judged by Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Amy J. St. Eve of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Third-year students Thomas MacPhee and Alesis Juntunen won the tournament, with MacPhee also receiving the Best Oralist Award for his outstanding individual performance. Kathleen Casey and Marin Larkin, both third-year students, were the runners-up.

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett sits at a wooden dais, wearing a black judicial robe, gazing with a serious expression. A microphone is before her. Behind her, a US flag and state flags are partially visible.

Steven Tu, also a third-year student, was recognized with the Best Brief award.

"We were honored to have Justice Barrett, Judge St. Eve, and Judge Davis join our students for this year’s tournament," said Dean G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law. “Their participation reflects the high bar we set for our students at Notre Dame Law School, and our students rose to that challenge with impressive advocacy skills and talent, and they displayed remarkable preparation and professionalism. Their performances this year were outstanding, and I am immensely proud of each student who participated.

The tournament, named in honor of Justice Barrett, a Notre Dame Law School alumna and former long-time Notre Dame faculty member, provides second- and third-year law students with an opportunity to develop and showcase their oral advocacy and brief-writing skills. Participation in the competition has grown greatly since its debut in 2024. This year’s competition began with 44 student oralists and eighteen briefs, culminating in a highly competitive final round between respondents MacPhee and Juntunen and petitioners Casey and Larkin. Both teams delivered compelling arguments supported by extensive research, clear legal reasoning, and strong teamwork.

Three robed women, including Amy Coney Barrett, sit behind a wooden bench, facing a man at a podium. The woman on the left has short brown hair; the woman on the right wears pearls. US, Indiana, and Notre Dame flags are behind them. — *(left to right): Thomas MacPhee presents his case in front of Judge Amy J. St. Eve, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis*

"The Tournament demands a huge amount of work during the busy fall semester and challenges our students to think and write about novel legal issues that they likely have not encountered before. I am so proud of every student who competed as a brief-writer or advocate,” said Jacqueline Liedl, assistant teaching professor in the Legal Writing Program and tournament director. “Their effort and dedication impressed our judges at each round of the Tournament and showcased the amazing talent we are blessed to have here at Notre Dame Law School.”

The 2025 tournament problem posed two discrete questions related to defendant Lucas Thompson’s arrest and sentencing for stealing Visa gift cards from the Best Buy where he worked. Students argued first whether the forced use of Thompson's Face ID to unlock a cell phone was testimonial for the purposes of the Fifth Amendment’s self-incrimination clause; and second, whether the commentary to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines remains binding on courts under Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1993), after the Supreme Court's more recent opinion in Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019).

The first-place team of oral advocates received a shared $10,000 cash prize, and the second-place team received a shared $5,000 cash prize. The author of the best brief also received a $5,000 award.

The Advocates

Four smiling young adults, three women and one man, stand in dark business suits before a large window with wooden frames. The women wear navy or black suits with white or beige blouses, and the man wears a navy suit with a blue and gray plaid tie. — *(left to right): Student Advocates: Marin Larkin, Kathleen Casey, Alesis Juntunen, and Thomas MacPhee*

Respondents

Alesis Juntunen, from Lorena, Texas, graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Political Science and Theology and earned her M.S. in Management from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business in 2023. She currently serves as president of Notre Dame’s Moot Court Board and as executive editor of the Journal of Legislation. She spent her 2L summer at the Institute for Justice in Phoenix and, after graduation, will clerk for Judge Gina Parker on the Texas Criminal Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, Texas.

"Competing in the Justice Amy Coney Barrett Tournament was a true highlight of my time at the law school, and likely of my entire career as an advocate. Tom was an excellent co-counsel and I am immensely grateful to many of our fellow students who spent countless hours helping us prepare for each round of the tournament. That type of collegiality is what makes Notre Dame, Notre Dame," said Juntunen.

Thomas MacPhee is from Conifer, Colorado, and graduated from Hillsdale College with a B.A. in Economics. At Notre Dame, he serves as the editor-in-chief of the Notre Dame Law Review. Thomas also earned first place and Best Oralist honors in 2024, the tournament’s inaugural year. Following graduation, he will clerk first for Judge Joan Larsen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then for Judge Benjamin Beaton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. After clerking, Thomas will be joining Jones Day's Dallas office.

"It was an honor and a privilege to argue before such a distinguished panel of judges alongside such talented friends. I revere Justice Barrett as a jurist, academic, and human being, so to compete before her in the tournament that bears her name will be one of the greatest honors of my life," said MacPhee. "Above all, I am grateful. Grateful to my partner, Alesis, for her endless determination. Grateful to my parents for the many sacrifices they have made to allow me to attend this law school. And grateful to Notre Dame for providing us the education and opportunities that let us honor God in our legal careers."

Petitioners

Kathleen Casey, from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Political Science. She spent her 2L summer at Jones Day as a summer associate in the firm’s Boston office, and she will clerk for Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit following graduation.

Marin Larkin, from Kensington, Maryland, graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Government and Psychology. After graduation, she will join the White Collar Litigation and Investigations group at Troutman Pepper Locke in Boston.

"To have the opportunity to be in this position again is one we are truly grateful for. It has been such an honor and privilege to participate in every aspect of this tournment— working alongside each other, competing against hard-working classmates, and arguing in front of this esteemed panel of judges. Thank you to everyone who made this tournament possible, especially Dean Cole and Professor Liedl, to the judges for their thought-provoking questions, and to our friends and family for supporting us every step of the way," said Casey and Larkin.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a smiling student holding a Notre Dame Law School medallion in a black case, and Dean G. Marcus Cole pose. Barrett wears a brown blazer, Cole a gray plaid suit with a blue bow tie and ND pin. — Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Steven Tu, and Dean Marcus Cole

Best Brief Writer

Steven Tu, from Seattle, Washington, graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a B.A. in Philosophy. Before law school, he served for six years in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked as an emergency medical technician in Seattle. He spent his 2L summer with Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., and, after graduation, will clerk for Judge Steven J. Menashi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, followed by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Justice Amy Coney Barrett Tournament and am honored to have my brief recognized among so many excellent submissions. I learned a great deal through the writing process, and I owe whatever I know about brief writing to the incredible professors I’ve had at Notre Dame—especially Professor Gallagher and Professors Meiser and Kessler of the Religious Liberty Clinic.”