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Having grown up in a family full of lawyers – from his father to his cousins, and most recently his sister – from a young age Marc Bisogno ’25 aspired towards a career in law. He was drawn to Haub Law in particular because of the atmosphere of support on campus. “Everyone genuinely wants to help you succeed,” said Marc. “Whether it is the professors, dean’s scholars, or my peers, I have always had someone to rely on and enhance my law school experience.”

Since starting Haub Law, Marc has found his passion in advocacy. “Being a part of the advocacy program has been my favorite experience in law school thus far. I played Division I college baseball and after that ended, I found myself searching for a new challenge to fill that competitive void that sports occupied. The advocacy program was the perfect opportunity to bring my competitive drive to law school.” Marc describes his initial experiences in advocacy competitions as challenging, but as his confidence grew, he found his advocacy skills followed. “Last spring my team was able to take home first place in New York Law School’s third annual Soccer Negotiation Competition. It was a great experience to see the hard work pay off and to be able to contribute to Haub Law’s top rank advocacy program.”

Marc also has found a strong interest in alternative dispute resolution. “I was part of a small group of students who helped revitalize the ADR society at Haub Law,” said Marc. “As the president of the ADR society, the E-board and I were tasked with helping grow ADR throughout the law school community. It has been a pleasure to see ADR gain traction, not only through the ADR Society but in the advocacy program as well.”

Over the summer, Marc worked as an intern at the Staten Island Supreme Court with Judge Orlando Marrazzo, Jr. Marc’s immediate goals are to pass the bar exam, excel in his first post-law school position, and eventually pursue a career in sports law, personal injury, or another practice area. “Law school can appear very intimidating, but with good time management skills and a lot of discipline it is achievable, especially with the support of a school like Haub Law.”

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University kicked off its 2024 advocacy season with several exciting competitions over the last few weeks, highlighting the strength and talent of its advocacy teams.

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A team of students including 3L Madison Lane, 3L Steven Caputo, 2L Alexa Saccomanno and 2L Carlos Erazo, received a “Golden Ticket” to participate in the prestigious 3-day Summit Cup Mock Trial Competition October 3–5, 2024, hosted by the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law, marking yet another milestone for the Law School’s top ranked program. This invitation-only competition is reserved for law schools that won advocacy competitions the previous year, and extended to only 12 top law schools, making this an elite competition in the world of legal advocacy.

The Summit Cup competition is structured with four rigorous tournament rounds, culminating in a Championship round. One of the elements that makes the Summit Cup particularly unique is its inclusion of laypeople as jurors, which provides a realistic jury panel experience, emulating real-life courtroom dynamics. The competition also employs "advocacy scoring," which helps simulate a juror's impressions of the advocates' performance, adding another layer of realism and challenge. During the competition, each team is provided with an “Assigned Woodshed Witness” from the host school, serving as one of the team's witnesses throughout the event.

Although the team did not advance to the final Championship round, they delivered exceptional performances in every stage of the tournament. The team’s success was bolstered by the support of their dedicated coaches, Chloe Devanny ‘24, Samantha Tighe ‘20, and Nicolette Brusco, Esq ‘21.

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Additionally, a Mock Trial Team including 3Ls Paige Padula and Katerina Balukas participated in the First Chair Competition held from September 13–15, 2024. Hosted by Hofstra Law, UCLA Law, and the University of San Diego School of Law, the competition brings together law schools excelling in teaching trial advocacy. Katerina, who represented the prosecution, won her round against the University of South Carolina, while Paige, representing the defense, won a round against Drexel Law School and tied against Hofstra. Both students had only two weeks to prepare their sides of the case, highlighting their impressive advocacy skills. Their coaches, Kathryn Facelle ’23 and AJ Muller ‘18, praised their performance and dedication to the competition.

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A Haub Law student team also participated in the Buffalo-Niagara Trial Competition, held from October 4–5, 2024. The team, consisting of 3L Julia Stueber and 2Ls Maiya Aubry, Samson Bosco and James Page, delivered strong performances under the guidance of their coach Jack Logan ’20, winning three out of four rounds. The competition is one of the largest in the country, with nearly 30 schools participating each year. Teams are challenged with intricate homicide fact patterns, requiring high-level trial advocacy skills.

“We are incredibly proud of all our teams and their outstanding achievements,” said Director of Haub Law’s Advocacy Programs and Professor of Practice, Louis Fasulo. “This is just the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable season of competition. The 'Golden Ticket' marks a historic moment for us, and we look forward to many more successes throughout the year."