UDC Law Students Win 2026 D.C. Cup Moot Court Competition
March 03, 2026
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC) students Mikayla Bower and Craig Bass Jr. prevailed over five other area law school teams to win the 2026 D.C. Cup Moot Court Competition on February 27.
At the event’s final round held at the D.C. Court of Appeals, Bower and Bass faced off against Georgetown University Law Center students Caroline Moffatt and Nicholas Barrow. This year’s dispute involved the appeal of the dismissal of a D.C. driver’s claim that license plate cameras violated their Fourth Amendment rights and that the denial of a license plate that read “DFUNMPD” was a violation of their First Amendment rights.
The UDC team supported the lower court’s decision, arguing that the use of automated license plate readers did not constitute a search and that regulations permit the District from refusing to issue a license plate that refers to an agency of the government.
D.C. Court of Appeals Associate Judge John P. Howard III, who served as chief judge of the competition, praised the conversational tone struck by the winning duo, calling it a stellar round.
Bass and Bower credited their success to the significant amount of preparation they committed to the competition; to the guidance of their coach, UDC associate professor Bruce Ching; and to the support of UDC Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Vanita “Saleema” Snow. Both Ching and Snow were on hand to witness the team’s victory.
“This is an incredible moment,” Bass said. “My partner and I worked so hard over the past four months to get ready for this competition. Our competitors were an incredible team, so we had to bring our best, and we’re champions.”
“It is really rewarding,” Bower said. “We put so much work and so much time into this over the past few months. I could not be more proud of us, and I’m so glad that we are taking it home.”
American University Washington College of Law students Kimberly Daum and Ben Kanter also emerged victorious, winning the Best Brief award. Meanwhile, Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law student Tyler Mruczinski claimed the title of Best Oralist.
Serving as one of the judges, D.C. Bar President Sadina Montani provided individualized feedback, applauding Moffatt’s neat pivot and competent responses during argument when Montani asked about standing when she intended to ask about the legal standard.
Barrow stood out for his rapid-fire deployment of precedent in support of his argument, reflective of an outstanding degree of preparation, while Bass exhibited presence, poise, and composure under the examination of the judges, Montani said.
Montani also found Bower’s argument distinguishing the privacy rights implicated by cars versus phones to be among the most compelling of the evening.
D.C. Solicitor General Caroline S. Van Zile praised the event’s participants, saying that even as a longtime litigator, she still experiences stress when delivering arguments. She congratulated the winning team for the deliberate way they presented their case, even under vigorous questioning.
The D.C. Cup Moot Court Competition is an annual event organized by the D.C. Bar Communities, drawing competitors from all six law schools located in the District of Columbia. In addition to the finalist teams from UDC, Georgetown, Catholic, and American, the competition also drew participants from Howard University School of Law and George Washington University Law School.
