On March 18th, two Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) teams competed in the revived National Animal Law Competitions. Coached by Professors Pamela Vesilind and Delcianna Winders, the appellate advocacy teams worked very hard on a challenging problem, and deserve congratulations.

Bailey Soderberg and Madison Gaffney competed in the semi-final rounds. Kai Hardy and Morgan Zielinski moved on to the finals, ultimately earning second place in the competition. Kai and Morgan were awarded Best Brief, and Kai earned nominations for best oralist, as well. 

The NALC, comprised of appellate advocacy, closing argument, and legislative drafting and lobbying competitions, have deep VLGS roots. They were started in 2004 by Laura Ireland, who is now the Associate Director of the VLGS Animal Law and Policy Institute; and Professor Winders, Director of ALPI, has written and judged past competition problems. Many VLGS alumni have placed and coached in past competitions including Professor Vesilind (JD'08), Professor Meg York (JD'15), Will Lowrey (JD'17), Monica Miller (JD'12), and Michelle Sinnott (JD'13). In collaboration with other schools’ animal law programs and the Brooks Institute, the VLGS ALPI revived the competitions after a six-year hiatus, thanks to encouragement from Professor Vesilind. VLGS is planning to host in-person competitions in Spring 2025.