- Team: Kyle Westerfer, Jack Kelly, and Livia Billen
- Team Captain: Livia Billen
- Best Oralist: Kyle Westerfer
- Coach: Professor Leslie Johnson
View the competition on Youtube
The Competition
The Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Competition at Albany Law School was created to honor the late Associate Justice of the New York Court of Appeals. Schools from across the nation competed in the appellate advocacy competition, focusing on issues surrounding family law. The Delaware Law School Moot Court Honor’s Society Moot court team won the final round against NYU School of Law. The Moot Court final was conducted by five distinguished jurists:
Honorable Leslie E. Stein (Director, Government Law Center, retired NYS Court of Appeals)
Honorable Christine M. Clark (NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department)
Honorable Daniel J. Stewart (U.S. District Court, Northern District of NY)
Honorable Richard Rivera (Albany County Family Court)
Honorable Elizabeth M. Walsh (Rensselaer County Family Court)
The jurists praised the team for their “professionalism, excellent grasp of the facts and the law, and the ability to argue their points clearly and decisively.”
“I am so incredibly proud of this team! These three students worked together tirelessly for over 2 months to submit an excellent appellate brief and to perfect an outstanding oral argument on both sides of a difficult custody issue. Their dedication, determination and professionalism was remarkable. Their accomplishments are a tribute to them, to our Moot Court Honor Society and to the Delaware Law School. It was an honor and a privilege to be their coach.” said Professor Leslie Johnson, coach.
About the Winners
Team Captain
Livia Billen 2L
Livia Billen is a 2L at Widener University Delaware Law School. She is part of the Transactional Law Honor Society and the PA Criminal Defense Clinic, and is an Academic Success Fellow. During her 1L summer, she interned for a criminal defense firm, Sebald, Hackwelder & Knox. For her 2L summer, she will be interning with the Pittsburgh District Attorney’s Office. Livia is passionate about the Innocence Project and aspires to help exonerate the wrongfully convicted. She also one day hopes to pursue an avenue of Animal Law. Livia holds a BA in Criminal Justice Studies with a minor in Pre-Law from the University of Dayton. Her hobbies include writing poetry, playing tennis and hiking with her dogs.
“I was always encouraged to find a different career path, so it was a surreal experience to be part of a team that won a national moot court competition. My writing and oral advocacy skills developed exponentially in the months leading up to the competition. I learned long-term self-discipline and the ability to “think on my feet” by analyzing and answering questions accurately and precisely. I also unearthed a new-found confidence within me. I am forever grateful for this opportunity and tremendously excited to see what the future holds for me as a future trial attorney.”
Best Oralist/Team Member
Kyle Westerfer– 3L
Kyle Westerfer is a 3L at Widener’s Delaware Law School. He is a member of the Moe Levine Trial Team and the Moot Court Honor Society. Westerfer became a member of the MCHS after advancing to the Semi-Final Round of the school’s internal DiBona Moot Court tournament, where his placement earned him an invitation. Even before starting law school, Westerfer competed in mock trials for over a decade, and continues to coach a high school and collegiate mock trial program. He was even selected for Drexel’s Trial-By-Combat competition in 2019, an invite-only one-on-one mock trial tournament that hosts the top 16 competitors from across the country. It is this passion for oral advocacy developed at a young age that has brought him all the way to law school. During his tenure at Delaware Law, he interned for Judge Gwendolyn N. Bright of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
“It was an honor to represent Delaware Law at Albany’s Gabrielli Family Law Moot Court tournament. The training, guidance, and challenges presented by our professors all culminated in our accomplishments at the tournament. I am incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity, and even more grateful for all the time I could spend with my wonderful teammates and professors.”
Team Member
John Kelly 2L
John Kelly is a 2L at Widener University Delaware Law School. He is a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Earlier this fall, Kelly was named the Best Overall Competitor in the New Member competition, and also competed in the 2022 DiBonna Competiton, hosted by Delaware Law School. Prior to attending Law School, Kelly attended Mercy College in New York, where he dual-majored in Political Science/Legal Studies and was captain of the baseball team.
“It was a tremendous honor to represent Delaware Law School against law schools from across the country. We were led by the tremendous Coach PJ and our captain, Livia Billen. It was a privilege to compete with my team. I owe them a great deal of gratitude and could not have done it without them. I would also like to thank our colleagues Peter Ford, Finny Lopez, and Sarah Kane for their unwavering support over the weekend. Both teams displayed selflessness and friendship, allowing us to push forward and realize our goals."
