Board of Directors Directory

Jacinth Sohi: President

Phone:

Jacinth is based in San Francisco and is the Director of Enterprise Marketing at Found. Previously she worked at Google and Uber as well as several other early-stage start-ups, where she's focused on scaling operations. She's a former competitor for Claremont McKenna College, and became a Director in 2019.

Johnathan G. Woodward, Esq.: Past President

Phone:

Johnathan is a partner with Houseman & Feind LLP in Grafton, Wisconsin, specializing in municipal law and civil litigation. Johnathan competed for the University of Missouri from 1999 to 2003. Johnathan joined the AMTA Board of Directors in 2007, served as Tabulation Director from 2012-2021, and served as AMTA's President from 2022 to 2024.

Michael D'Ippolito, Esq.: Secretary

Phone:

Michael is a litigation associate with Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. in Providence, Rhode Island. Michael competed for Duke University from 2008 to 2012, and coached at Duke from 2012 to 2016. Currently, Michael coaches at Brown University. Michael became a member of the Board in 2020.

William Warihay, Esq.: Treasurer

Phone:

William is a practicing litigation attorney in Atlanta with Morgan & Morgan. William has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2013. William served as the Tournament Administration Committee Chair from 2012 until 2017, and he served as AMTA's President from 2018 through 2020. Since 2021, he has served as AMTA's Treasurer. He has also coached the Georgia Tech's mock trial team since 2015.

David Ben-Merre:

Phone:

David Ben-Merre is Professor of English at Buffalo State – SUNY. David was a former competitor for the Johns Hopkins mock trial team, a coach at Buffalo State, and he became a Director in 2015.

Justin Bernstein, Esq.: Development Chair

Phone:

Justin is a law professor and trial advocacy director at the UCLA School of Law. Justin is a former competitor for UC Berkeley and former coach of New York University and UC Irvine. He served as AMTA President from 2014 to 2016.

Ryne Cannon, Esq.: (Candidate 2025)

Phone:

Ryne is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of O’Melveny & Myers. Ryne competed for the University of Chicago from 2012 to 2016 and coached their program from 2016 to 2020. Ryne is a candidate to become a member of the Board in 2025.

Adam Detsky, Esq.:

Phone:

Adam is a civil defense attorney residing near Boulder, Colorado and practicing law in both Colorado and New York. Adam handles matters involving products liability, premises security, premises liability and labor law. He is a former AMTA competitor (Maryland) and former AMTA coach, serving as co-founder of two nationally ranked programs (Syracuse University and Iona College)

Natalie Garson, Esq.:

Phone:

Natalie is a 2022 graduate of the UCLA School of Law and is a public defender in Orange County, Calif. She was elected to the Board in 2024.

Michael J. Gelfand, Esq.:

Phone:

Michael currently coaches at Iona College, where he has been since the fall of 2008. Michael is an associate in the Commercial Litigation department of Westerman Ball Ederer Miller & Sharfstein on Long Island. Michael became a Director on the AMTA Board of Directors in 2015.

Dr. Glen Halva-Neubauer:

Phone:

Glen is Dana Professor of Political Science at Furman University, Greenville, SC, where he also serves as Director of Mock Trial and Public Service Internship Programs. He hosted the 2016 National Championship Tournament. Glen has been an AMTA Director since 1999, and he served as President from 2012-2014.

Brandon Harper, Esq.: Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair

Phone:

Brandon is an attorney in New York and served as AMTA's 10th President through 2020-2022. Previously, Brandon was a litigation associate in the New York office of O'Melveny & Myers and a law clerk to the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Brandon has been involved with AMTA since 2005.

Hon. Dan Haughey:

Phone:

Dan was elected Judge of the Butler County Ohio Court of Common Pleas in 2020. He previously served as Judge of the Butler County Area Court for twelve years. Dan coached the Miami University Mock Trial Program from 2001-2014, the same school where he competed from 1994-1997. Dan also coached the University of Dayton
Mock Trial Team from 2015-2019. Dan joined the AMTA Board of Directors in 2003.

Robson Hauser, Esq.: (Candidate 2025)

Phone:

Robson Hauser is a Chief Deputy Public Defender in Las Vegas, Nevada. He competed for the University of Southern California from 2007 - 2011. He has since coached at the University of Arizona and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Robson is a candidate to become a member of the Board in 2025.

Graham Henry:

Phone:

Graham has been involved with AMTA competition since he was 17. He competed for Hamline University (2006-2009), and previously coached for Hamline University. He is currently the head coach of Winona State University (2017-present). He is an Assistant Public Defender in Winona, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Winona State University.

Hon. Toby Heytens:

Phone:

Toby is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, a position to which he was appointed in 2021. He was a founding member of Macalester College's mock trial team and has served as a coach at the University of Virginia. Toby has been a member of the AMTA Board since 2010.

Andy Hogan:

Phone:

Andy works as a Senior Account Executive for Directions Research, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. Andy also currently coaches Xavier University Mock Trial. Andy attended Miami University, where he earned a B.A. and M.S. in Economics, including competing for Miami Mock Trial. Andy joined the Board in 2020.

Devon Holstad, Esq.:

Phone:

Devon is a litigation attorney at Winthrop & Weinstine in Minneapolis. He has been involved in AMTA since 2007 and became a full director on the Board in 2017.

Sam Jahangir, Esq.:

Phone:

Sam is a litigation associate at the Chicago office of Jenner & Block LLP. Sam competed for Northwestern University from 2009 to 2013. Sam currently coaches at the University of Chicago and became a member of the Board in 2021.

Dennis Kerwin: (Candidate 2026)

Phone:

Dennis is based in Newport News, Virginia and is a Solutions Engineer for Symplicity, an Education Technology company. Dennis competed for the University of South Carolina from 2010 to 2014. Dennis went on to help coach Eastern Michigan University from 2014-2016 and is currently coaching William & Mary, which he has since 2020. Dennis is a candidate to become a member of the board in 2026.

Prof. Barry Langford:

Phone:

Barry is currently the coach of the Columbia College program. Barry became a member on the AMTA Board of Directors in 2005. Barry is currently the Chair of the Criminal Justice Administration Department at Columbia College.

Jennifer LaPrade, Ph.D.: (Candidate 2026)

Phone:

Jennifer is an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Missouri State University where she also performs quantitative and qualitative court research. Jennifer founded the Missouri State Mock Trial program in 2020 and currently serves as their head coach. She also competed and served as an assistant coach in mock trial at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a candidate to join the Board in 2026.

DeLois Leapheart:

Phone:

DeLois became a member of the AMTA Board of Directors in 2014. DeLois is a coach with the Northwood University program. DeLois coached the Northwood University team to their national championship in 2009.

Diane Michalak, Esq.: Tabulation Director

Phone:

Diane has been an Assistant State’s Attorney for DuPage County in Illinois since 2003 and an adjunct professor at Wheaton College since 2015. Diane competed for the University of Iowa for two seasons and has coached the Wheaton College Mock Trial team since 2011. She became a member of the AMTA Board of Directors in 2018.

Joshua Leckrone, Esq.:

Phone:

Joshua is currently a Partner at the law firm of Walters, Meadows, Richardson, PLLC. He has been a member of the AMTA Board of Directors since 2010. Joshua competed in AMTA from 1998 to 2002 for the University of Cincinnati and has been coaching at his alma mater since that time.

Angela Minor, Esq.:

Phone:

Angela became a Director on the AMTA Board in 2015. Angela is a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C., and she coaches the Howard University mock trial team.

Brian Olson, Esq.:

Phone:

Brian is a business lawyer and partner with Squillace & Associates. P.C. and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (C.I.P.P.). Brian has coached the Wellesley College mock trial team since 2002. Brian is currently a candidate to become a member of the Board in 2020.

Bradley Ouambo, Esq.: (Candidate 2025)

Phone:

Brad Ouambo is a construction attorney in Cleveland Ohio at Frantz Ward LLP. He coaches Case Western Reserve University’s mock trial team in the undergraduate and law school level. Brad is also a member of Civil Case Committee and helped write the 2023 Rookie Rumble Case. Brad competed in AMTA as an undergrad from 2010-2014 for Miami University. In 2023, Brad became a candidate for AMTA’s Board.

Thomas Parker, Esq.:

Phone:

Tom became a member of the AMTA Board of Directors in 2014. Tom coaches at Eastern Kentucky University and serves as the Coordinator of Academic Initiatives in the Office of Regional Stewardship.

Dr. J. Mitchell Pickerill:

Phone:

Mitch is the Chair of the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois University. He was elected to the Board in 2024.

Maggy Randels Schuette, Esq.:

Phone:

Maggy is a trial attorney representing seriously injured plaintiffs at Randels Injury Law in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. She currently coaches Georgia State Mock Trial. Maggy competed for Washington University in St. Louis from 2006-2010. She became a member of the board in 2023.

Neal Schuett, Esq.:

Phone:

Neal is currently an Assistant Professor at Miami University, Associate Attorney at Haughey & Deters, LLC, and an Assistant Public Defender with Butler County. Neal competed for the University of Iowa from 1999 to 2003.

Adam Selcov: (Candidate 2026)

Phone:

Adam is a development associate at Temple Israel of Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif. He competed for the University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating in 2020. He is a candidate to join the Board in 2026.

Elizabeth Smiley, Esq.: Rules Committee Chair

Phone:

Elizabeth is a litigation associate working in the class action group at Baron & Budd, P.C. in Los Angeles, California. She has coached undergraduate mock trial at UCLA since 2017. Before that, she competed and coached at the University of Arizona. Elizabeth became a member of the Board of Directors in 2022.

Kyle Thomason, Esq.:

Phone:

Kyle competed at Georgia Tech from 2004 to 2007. Kyle went on to coach at Duke University, helping coach the 2012 national champion Duke team. Kyle is a senior corporate litigation counsel at Pfizer. He joined the Board of Directors in 2013.

Michael Walsh, Esq.:

Phone:

Mike is the Director of Compliance at Snap-on Credit in Libertyville, Illinois. Mike is the coach of the mock trial program at Loyola University-Chicago, where he is also an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department. Mike joined the AMTA Board of Directors in 2012.

Melissa Watt, Esq.: Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair

Phone:

Melissa is a member of the AMTA Board of Directors, and served as AMTA's Tournament Administration Committee Chair from 2018, through 2022. She is a litigation attorney at Faruki, P.L.L. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Elise Wilson, Esq.:

Phone:

Elise is an attorney in Wilmington, N.C.. She competed for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently coached Georgia Tech. Elise joined the Board of Directors in 2023.

Amelia Yeomelakis, Esq.: Tournament Administration Committee Chair (Candidate 2025)

Phone:

Amelia is a public defender at The Legal Aid Society in New York City. Amelia competed for Rhodes College from 2011 to 2015 and coached at her alma mater from 2015 to 2017. She is a candidate to become a member of the Board in 2025.

Jeremy Zarzycki, Esq.:

Phone:

Jeremy Zarzycki is a Public Defender in Tucson, Arizona and also serves as pro bono chief counsel for End of Days Entertainment, LLC. He is a former competitor at the University of Arizona and coach at Arizona and Ole Miss. He was elected to the Board in 2024.

Directors Emeriti

Professor Robert J. Boland Jr. (1954-2005) | Manchester Community College
Anita A. Calkins
Richard Calkins | Founder, American Mock Trial Association | President (1984-2004)
Judge Peter M. Handwork | University of Toledo
Daniel J. Herron | Miami University
Dr. Peter R. Leigh | Eastern Illinois University
John McKiernan
Judge David W. Nelmark | President (2010-2012)
Mary Lynn Neuhaus | Loras College
Marcus Pohlmann | Rhodes College | President (2006-2008)
Dan Stamatelos, Esq. (1934 - 2001)
Thomas Van Dervort, Esq. | Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. John Vile | Middle Tennessee State University
James R. Wagoner | Bellarmine University | President (2004-2006)
Dr. Ruth Wagoner | Bellarmine University
James Walker | Wright State University
Clyde E. Willis, Esq. | Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Sara Zeigler | Eastern Kentucky University | President (2008-2010)

AMTA Presidents

Richard Calkins, Esq. - 1985 - 2004
James Wagoner, Esq. - 2004 - 2006
Dr. Marcus Pohlmann - 2006 - 2008
Dr. Sara Zeigler - 2008 - 2010
David Nelmark, Esq. - 2010 - 2012
Dr. Glen Halva-Neubauer - 2012 - 2014
Justin Bernstein, Esq. - 2014 - 2016
Dr. Frank Guliuzza - 2016 - 2018
William Warihay, Esq. - 2018 - 2020
Brandon Harper, Esq. - 2020 - 2022
Johnathan Woodward, Esq. - 2022 - 2024
Jacinth Sohi - 2024-2026

Board Information

Board of Directors Directory

Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Committees

AMTA Representatives

Board Membership Information

Student Advisory Board