Siena alumna Mara Afzali ’14 was recently named the winner of the 2015 Albany Law School Domenick L. Gabrielli Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition.
Afzali’s interest in studying law did not come as naturally as it did for many of her peers; she began her career as an elementary school teacher and was inspired to return to academics once her four young children had gotten older.
“Law was not a field I had considered before that time, but once I started to look at potential careers, law felt like the right fit. I have always had an appreciation for language and theory, and am motivated by challenge.”
Siena’s pre-law program was the perfect fit for Afzali, and she jumped at every opportunity that was presented to her. She led the Hon. James P. King Moot Court/Mock Trial team as captain for three years, participated in the Summer Legal Fellows program where she interned at Albany Law School’s Government Law Center, and interned at The Albany Family Court with Hon. Gerard Maney. Her experiences with Len Cutler, Ph.D., director of the Pre-Law program, and the numerous attorneys and judges she encountered during her time at Siena have continued to influence her during her time at Albany Law School.
“The education I received at Siena prepared me for [law school] in every way. In fact, although the workload was tough, I was not surprised by it and felt completely capable of completing and understanding the material,” said Afzali. “I owe that to my professors and mentors at Siena. Dr. Cutler’s classes taught me how to get over the fear of being cold-called, how to brief cases and IRAC answers, how to take time-pressured exams, and how to read carefully! These are the exact skills that are drilled into you as a first year law student, but for me it was all review, which gave me extra time to stay ahead on my outlines and on memorizing the material well ahead of finals.”
Afzali was also able to utilize the skills she honed at Siena as she competed in The Gabrielli Competition’s six rounds of oral arguments.
“Oral advocacy is an intense experience, and differs quite a bit from the trials I competed in as a member of Siena’s Mock Trial team. However, the skills I developed at Siena were directly transferable to this competition–quick thinking, being able to articulate arguments concisely and quickly on my feet, and most importantly, the confidence to put myself out there and give it my best shot.”
Afzali and her competition partner Tyler Robbins presented to a panel of judges including Siena Honorary Degree recipient Hon. Victoria A. Graffeo, Hon. David N. Hurd, Hon. Gary L. Sharpe, Hon. Christian F. Hummel, and Hon. Margaret M. Cangilos-Ruiz.
Afzali urges students not to hesitate if they are considering to a legal career and to embrace every opportunity for growth presented to them through the pre-law program.
“Attend pre-law sponsored events and start networking now,” said Afzali. “The alumni who attend these events care about your success and want to connect with you. The relationships that I developed with local attorneys and judges through Siena have lasted, and I owe much of my success thus far to these individuals.”
