March 6, 2025
SVSU moot court partners reach new heights
The Saginaw Valley State University moot court duo of Nikolas Baker and Diva Patel have set a new record for the program, finishing fifth in the nation at the American Moot Court Association final round of the national tournament.
The tournament, which was held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15, at Texas Tech Law School in Lubbock, featured 32 teams from across the U.S.
“Nik and Diva delivered the best performance by any SVSU team in our program’s history,” said Kevin Lorentz II, SVSU assistant professor of political science who coaches the team along with Amy Hendrickson, SVSU associate professor of law and assistant dean of the Scott L. Carmona College of Business. “This is a truly outstanding achievement; it truly was amazing to see how well Nik and Diva argued against some talented teams from across the country. Amy and I could not be prouder of them.”
After the first round of competition on Friday, Baker, from Standish, who graduated in December (political science), and Patel from Kawkawlin, who graduated in December (biology and political science), were seeded first, winning eight out of nine ballots. They were among the top 16 teams to advance to the second day for elimination rounds, where they advanced as far as the quarterfinals, falling in a split (2-1) decision to the eventual national champion, and tying for a fifth place national finish.
“Saving our best finish for last was a satisfying end to three years of doing moot court,” said Baker. “I am also especially grateful that we had the opportunity to represent SVSU in this way.”
Baker and Patel advanced to the finals after competing, along with two other SVSU teams, in the ACMA preliminary rounds of the national competition at the University of Houston Law Center in January. Payton Stemmerich, a Spanish major from Clinton Township and moot court participant, accompanied the competitors to Texas Tech to help them prepare. Stemmerich was among the SVSU moot court participants competing in the preliminary national rounds.
As they reflect on their hard work through their moot court experience at SVSU, both Baker and Patel appreciate what they learned from being challenged.
“I am confident that participating in moot court at SVSU has put me in a strong position for law school,” said Baker, who expects to graduate in May and already has been accepted into several law schools. “The ability to understand and synthesize case law is at the heart of moot court and thus has given me invaluable skills as I take this next academic step.
Patel echoed Baker’s sentiment: “Moot court was incredibly valuable to my academic career. It helped me understand and analyze complex issues better, especially considering that I had to argue and present two different sides using the same set of facts. I also think that my oral presentation skills have greatly improved.”
Patel currently works as a staff assistant in the office of U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, who represents Michigan’s 8th District.
At the end of the 2023-2024 competition season, SVSU’s moot court program was ranked ninth in the country for undergraduate moot court. National rankings for the 2024-2025 season will be released this spring.
In addition to Baker and Patel’s success in oral arguments competition, three SVSU teams already have received national recognition for their written appellate briefs:
• Owen Bacigalupo, a sociology major from Bay City, and Noah Johnson, a political science major from Lake Orion, placed fourth with their respondent brief.
• Ethan Rose, a political science major from Ypsilanti, and Payton Stemmerich, a Spanish major from Clinton Township, placed sixth for their petitioner brief.
• Baker and Patel placed 12th for their respondent brief.
Final results of the brief writing competition are not yet complete.
SVSU has qualified for the American Moot Court Association national tournament nearly every year it has competed since the program’s inception in 2010. For more information about the American Moot Court Association, visit amcamootcourt.org.