These were the questions centered in the fictional case analyzed and argued by 116 first-year Elon Law students in the school’s 19th Annual Intramural Moot Court Competition, held May 27 and 28.

A deaf small-business owner applied for a loan from an online lending company and was offered a 14.25% interest rate. After his twin brother — who shared nearly identical financial, educational and employment credentials but did not have a disability — received a 6.25% rate for the same loan, he suspected the lender had considered his disability when evaluating the application.

The business owner sued under the ADA, arguing that the online lender discriminated against him based on his disability. A federal court dismissed the case, finding that the lender’s website was not a place of public accommodation covered by the ADA and that the law regulates access to lending services, not the terms of the loans offered.

The business owner appealed the ruling to the fictional U.S. Court of Appeals for the 15th Circuit, which regularly hears cases represented by Elon Law students.

Members of the Class of 2027 comprised the largest group ever to compete in the spring event, with 58 teams appearing before volunteer judges that included local judges, attorneys, Elon Law alumni, and law school faculty and staff.

All first-year students were introduced to the case in their Legal Method & Communication courses as the basis for graded oral arguments this spring. Each student presented two oral arguments, one for appellant and one for appellee, and was scored on preparation, speaking ability, argument structure and responses to judges’ questions.

Top 10 Oral Advocates in the 2026 competition (with ties)

• Gabrielle Brown Roycroft
• Aarya Deshmukh
• Zaria Hanchell
• Adelaide Anne Zahren
• Avery Vidt
• Michael Iafrato
• Grant Paramore
• Rachel Wilson
• Jacqueline Gardner (tie)
• David Bryant (tie)
• Megan Chen

“This competition was a reminder not to let fear of failure keep me from trying,” said Gabrielle Brown Roycroft L’27, from Salisbury, North Carolina, who is interested in family law, estate planning and civil litigation. She graduated from Catawba College with a degree in politics. “It’s worth it to push through the nerves and use them as fuel to perform your best. You can’t memorize your way through oral advocacy. You have to think on your feet and respond in the moment. When you’ve done the work in advance, you can trust your preparation and focus on having a conversation with the judges.”

Selections for membership on the Moot Court Board will be announced this summer before the board hosts the 17th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition on Oct. 22-24. Moot Court Board members will also compete in a slate of national moot court competitions during the 2026-27 school year.

Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief, director of Elon Law’s Moot Court Program, praised the Moot Court Board for its professionalism and hospitality in running the spring competition.

The annual event sees the Elon Law community step up to provide an exceptional experience for first-year students. This year, Elon Law was honored to host more than 50 volunteer attorneys and judges, including over 20 Elon Law alumni, as well as a current justice and former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court participate as judges.

“Moot Court is a great experiential learning opportunity, and I was excited to see so many students take advantage of this experience to strengthen their advocacy skills,” Woodlief said. “Our Moot Court Board did an exceptional job coordinating the school’s largest-ever competition, and they could not have done it without the great support from our student body, faculty, and staff, as well as the many Elon Law alumni, attorneys, and judges who contributed to the success of the competition.”

Alumni judges reflect: ‘It helped me find my voice’

The annual Intramural Moot Court Competition — along with the graded Legal Method and Communication Program’s graded oral arguments held the week before — is also a homecoming of sorts.

Alumni return to campus each spring to hear arguments, offer feedback and help first-year students develop the advocacy skills they will use throughout their careers.  They have clear memories of standing at the podium themselves and how meaningful it was to their development to receive feedback from legal professionals.

April Franklin L’25 said oral arguments helped her overcome her nerves and discover a passion for advocacy.

“It gave me confidence. It helped me find my voice that I didn’t know that I had,” said Franklin, who is pursuing practice in wills and estates, health care or corporate law. “Elon gave me the support that I needed to progress in this career path, and I want to be able to give that same support to the next generation of Elon Law students.”

Landon Eckard L’25, who will begin a federal judicial clerkship in Detroit this summer, said moot court taught him to think on his feet and respond to difficult questions from judges.

“It’s the most spontaneous kind of advocacy there is in the legal profession,” Eckard said. “You can have a rough script before you get there, but one minute into the argument, that script goes out the window. It made me a better litigator and a better attorney.”

Thomas Harvey L’22, a criminal defense attorney in nearby Rockingham County, North Carolina, pursued law as a second career. He returns because he remembers exactly what it felt like to stand at the podium as a student and believes the experience helps shape better advocates.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I was standing right where they are. Believe it or not, the judges are all rooting for you individually,” Harvey said. “It’s such a joy to come back and be a part of Elon Law.”

2026 Intramural Moot Court Competition student leadership

Overall Chairs of the Competition: Isabel Craige L’26, Elizabeth Gregory L’26, Sierra Watkins L’26

Judge Recruitment and Coordination Chairs: Emma Farrell L’26, James Galipeau L’26, Cayla James L’26, Bailey Langford L’26, Renata Navarro L’26

Bailiff Recruitment and Coordination Chairs: Madisyn Butler L’26, Erin Carleton L’26, Megan Eldredge L’26, Cameron O’Neil L’26, Tyler Sesker L’26

Scoring Committee Chairs: Brittany Balis-West L’26, Jackie Rullman L’26, Rebecca Vairin L’26

LMC Oral Argument Coordination Chairs: Daulton Hadaway L’26, Courtney Maxwell L’26

Presiding over the ceremony were The Hon. Catherine C. Eagles of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, The Hon. Stephanie L. Reese of the North Carolina Superior Court and The Hon. Bill Davis of the North Carolina District Court. Graduates were presented to the court by sponsoring attorneys before being admitted to practice before the state bar, the federal bar or both.

“Today is the day you can represent people, represent clients and call yourself a lawyer,” Eagles said during the Thursday, May 21, session. “It’s your job to stand up for people and to stand up for the rule of law. It is your job to conduct yourself uprightly and according to law, and to look after our system of justice every day in everything that you do.”

The ceremony was hosted by the ’s Young Lawyers Section, one of many held across North Carolina and the nation as members of Elon Law’s Class of 2025 complete their legal studies after December graduations and successful performances on the February 2026 bar examinations. Dean of Elon Law Zak Kramer delivered remarks welcoming new attorneys, calling the ceremony “the culmination of years of work and sacrifice by our graduates and their families.”

Jonathan M. Parisi, president of the Young Lawyers Section, encouraged newly licensed attorneys to engage in the legal profession and broader community as they begin their careers.

“This is not the end of your learning journey. It’s just the beginning,” Parisi said. “Seek out mentors, get involved in your legal community, and find ways to serve.”

Davis reminded them that their professional reputation will shape their careers.

“Your reputation is your greatest tool and your greatest asset,” Davis said. “Be thoughtful about how you interact with judges, lawyers, clients and court staff. Build a reputation that will serve you well and help you succeed.”

Reese emphasized the responsibility attorneys assume when clients place their trust, livelihoods and futures in lawyers’ hands.

“You’ve shown incredible strength and character in making it to this point,” Reese told the newly admitted attorneys. “People put their very lives in your hands. From today forward, you have that responsibility, and no one else can carry it for you. You are their voice. You are their guide and their strength in the storm.”

Eagles also encouraged the graduates to pursue civic leadership beyond courtrooms and law offices.

“Lawyers are often the people making the nonlegal parts of our community work,” Eagles said. “Find your place where you can make a contribution beyond the courtroom and your office.”

Presiding over the ceremonial court sessions were:

The Hon. Catherine C. Eagles of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

The Hon. Stephanie L. Reese of North Carolina Superior Court for the 24th District

The Hon. Bill Davis of North Carolina District Court for the 24th District

Elon Law graduates admitted to federal and state court

Elon law graduates seeking admission only to federal court

Elon Law graduates seeking admission only to state court

Ìęłą’25

About Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive full-time curriculum provides a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which offers exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students. The law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, maintaining an A+ rating each year since 2023. Elon Law was also among schools highlighted by Bloomberg Law in 2023 for its innovative approach to student development.

ŸĂŸĂÈÈ has applied to the American Bar Association to open a full-time, 2.5-year J.D. program in Charlotte beginning in fall 2027. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study, launched there in 2024. Designed for students balancing work, family and other commitments to earn their J.D. in under four years, it will enroll its third cohort in fall 2026.

Six judges, comprising two panels, heard oral arguments in two cases inside the law school’s Robert E. Long Courtroom on Wed., April 15. Following recess, they held an extended Q&A session with students in the courtroom where they shared lessons drawn from decades of experience on and off the bench.

Among their advice to young lawyers:

• Be willing to concede a point — then quickly move on to explain why your client still prevails.
• It’s OK to say, “I don’t know,” rather than risk your credibility. Return to your argument about why your client should win the case.
• Structure legal briefs as clear roadmaps of your argument for the Court.
• Be concise in your writing. Make your point, support it with the law and move forward.
• Use caution with AI: Verify facts and citations before submitting any work to the court. Large language models often hallucinate legal matters.

Judges hearing arguments and interacting with students were:

• The Hon. Chris Dillon, Chief Judge of the N.C. Court of Appeals
• The Hon. John Arrowood
• The Hon. Jefferson Griffin
• The Hon. Toby Hampson
• The Hon. Donna Stroud
• The Hon. John Tyson

Judges heard arguments in two very different cases.

The first, , centers on whether certain residential units should be classified as townhomes or duplexes under local building codes, a distinction with significant regulatory consequences — and now potential financial consequences for individual property owners.

The second case, , out of Forsyth County, involves the state’s appeal of a trial court’s decision to dismiss charges after testimony referenced a prior case, raising questions about prejudice and appropriate remedies.

“It was an incredible experience for our students to observe six judges from the North Carolina Court of Appeals and four highly skilled appellate advocates in action, particularly as our first-year students prepare to present their own appellate arguments in their required Legal Method & Communication course in a few weeks,” said Alan Woodlief, vice dean and professor of law. “Several of the judges visiting today consistently welcome Elon Law students to their chambers for their Residencies-in-Practice, summer internships, or full-time clerkships after graduation. It was great to have several current Residency students accompany their judges to the oral arguments.”

Elon Law students’ takeaways

Law students listened intently to judges’ lines of questioning, but also to the ways appellant litigators structured their arguments, responded to jurists’ questions and addressed the court.

“I was paying attention to everything. I could understand why this is such a complicated case — codes changing, proposals changing, multiple parties — and I appreciated the judges asking why it got to this point and where responsibility lies,” said Lamarie Austin-Stripling LF ’29. A student in Elon Law’s part-time Charlotte Flex Program, Austin-Stripling drove from her home in Concord, North Carolina, to hear arguments before returning to the Queen City for classes that night.

Greensboro law students were just as engaged.

• “What struck me most is how much of what I’ve already been doing — in the classroom, in residency, and in internships — showed up in these arguments. It reinforced that I’m learning the skills I’ll need to be in that position one day.” – Tyler Sesker L’26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, who earned her ŸĂŸĂÈÈ and graduate degrees at Hollins University and the University of Virginia.

•  “I was surprised by how collaborative the process is — judges discussing cases with each other and their clerks before and after arguments. It was valuable to see how the pros do it and what approaches seemed to resonate.” – Tom Desch L’27, of Cornelius, North Carolina, who earned his ŸĂŸĂÈÈ degree at the University of South Carolina

• “One of the most impactful takeaways was hearing from the judges that if an attorney doesn’t know an answer, it is okay to say, ‘I don’t know.’ Being honest about the limits of your knowledge is much better than risking your credibility.” – Paulina Escobar L’27, of Ecuador, who holds a law degree from the University of the Americas in Quito, Ecuador.

Elon Law alumnus argues in his home court

For one attorney arguing before the court, the visit marked a return to where his legal career began.

Reginaldo Williams L’11, now an attorney with the North Carolina Department of Justice, presented arguments in State v. Cuadra. His path to appellate advocacy, however, was far from certain.

“I was that person wondering, ‘Why did I do this?’” Williams said following hearings, recalling his time as a law student. “I didn’t feel like I fit as a prosecutor or a public defender. But when I did my first oral argument, I knew — this is it.”

Williams credits guidance from Professor of Law Catherine Ross Dunham with helping him stay the course at a moment when he considered leaving law school altogether. That decision ultimately led him to appellate practice, where he now represents the state in criminal appeals.

“There are a lot of students who may not feel like they’ve found their place yet,” he said. “But you will. And when you do, it makes all the difference.”

Results from the February 2026 exam were released Wednesday, April 1, by the . Elon Law’s result far exceeds the statewide first-time passage rate of 74.78% and the school’s previous high of 82%, set by Elon Law’s charter class in 2009.

The Class of 2025’s success reflects a sustained, school-wide focus on ŸĂŸĂÈÈ, preparation, and student support, all aimed at helping graduates succeed not only on the bar exam, but in their legal careers.

“This is what Elon Law is all about,” said Zak Kramer, dean of Elon Law. “We’re in the dream-making business. The better our students perform, the faster they can begin making an impact as lawyers.”

An upward trajectory

In recent years, faculty and staff have aligned around the mission of excellence on the bar exam. They adopted a new motto and mindset: “One and Done.”

The gains are striking. First-time passage has climbed from 52.8% for the Class of 2021 to 91.96% for the Class of 2025, with steady increases along the way, including 79.4% for the Class of 2023, and 73.5% for the Class of 2024.

These efforts are part of a broader vision. Elon Law’s faculty continuously refine how they teach for real-world lawyering. The school’s 2.5-year J.D. program accelerates students’ path to the profession — with a December graduation and February bar exam — while reducing the cost of a legal education. Recognized nationally for practical training with an A+ rating from PreLaw Magazine, Elon Law prepares graduates to enter the profession with confidence and experience.

“We’re so proud of our students who took the bar,” said Jenny Lane, assistant dean for academic success. “We gave them the mission, ‘Commit, complete, conquer,’ and that’s exactly what they did.”

With its highest bar pass rate in recent history and a multi-year trend of steady growth, Elon Law is on a sustained upward trajectory.

“Big things are happening at Elon Law,” Kramer said, “and we’re just getting started.”

About Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive full-time curriculum provides a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which offers exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated nearly 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students. The law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, maintaining a Top 10 placement and an A+ rating each year since 2023. Elon Law was also among schools highlighted by Bloomberg Law in 2023 for its innovative approach to student development.

ŸĂŸĂÈÈ has applied to the American Bar Association to open a full-time, 2.5-year J.D. program in Charlotte beginning in fall 2027. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study, launched there in 2024. Designed for students balancing work, family and other commitments to earn their J.D. in under four years, it enrolled its second cohort in fall 2025.

Recent Elon Law graduate Dmitri McKinney L’25 appeared as a contestant on where a legal hypothetical (or what sounded like one) led him astray.

Calling in from his hometown of Elon, McKinney joined host Peter Sagal for the program’s “Bluff the Listener” segment, where contestants try to identify the real news story among three humorous options presented by the show’s panelists.

During his introduction, McKinney shared that he had recently graduated from Elon Law and hopes to pursue public service or civil rights work, drawing applause from the audience.

When the panelists shared three unusual New York City stories, McKinney joked that one option — involving a tourist suing over a painfully spicy taco — sounded like something straight out of a first-year law class.

“I’m not saying this is the real one, but Paula (Poundstone)’s story sounded like a tort hypothetical that I know a lot of the 1Ls went through a couple of months ago,” he said.

Ironically, that lawsuit story turned out to be the real one.

“All of the answer choices were so entertaining, but I thought there was no way that the real answer would essentially be a giant torts foreseeability hypothetical!” McKinney said afterward. “I wound up picking Alonzo Bodden’s story because it was so kind-hearted.”

He appeared on the show after submitting an online form shortly after graduating from Elon Law in December.

“I have been a lifelong listener of NPR and of ‘Wait Wait 
 Don’t Tell Me!’ so I wanted being on the show to mark a special occasion,” McKinney said. “Someone from the show texted me last week asking if I still wanted to be on the show. It was an absolute delight.”

At Elon Law, McKinney was a Presidential Scholar, Leadership Fellow, editor-in-chief of We the People: Elon Law’s Constitutional Law Journal, president of the Innocence Organization, Law School Democrats and active on the Honor Council. He earned ŸĂŸĂÈÈ degrees from North Carolina State University in chemistry and political science.

Success in law rests on service and impact, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice said in urging ŸĂŸĂÈÈ School of Law’s newest graduates to shape their careers around three guiding principles.

• Choose the more meaningful path — especially when it’s uncomfortable or harder.
• Titles don’t define worth. What matters is what you do with the role you’ve earned.
• Don’t be a bystander. Change comes through action, not observation.

“You weren’t trained just to know the law,” North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. said. “You were trained to use the law, to serve with it, to fight with it, to preserve liberty. When you take real action, you’re not just solving a temporary problem. You’re changing lives and building foundations.”

Berger delivered that advice and more in a Commencement address on Dec. 12, 2025, to 136 graduates in Elon Law’s Class of 2025. With family and friends gathering in Alumni Gym on the university’s main campus, the program marked the culmination of rigorous legal studies and experiential service over the past 2.5 years.

Berger has served as an associate justice on the state’s highest court since 2021 following years as a prosecutor, Superior Court judge and appellate judge. He reminded graduates that their work will take them into places where people are hurting, confused or alone. Berger likened these places to “the well,” telling a modern parable about passersby who leave a man stranded in a well before one who knows the way jumps in to rescue him. Lawyers must be willing to step into these fraught situations and guide others forward.

“The world will not change because you walked by the well. It will only change if you jump in,” he said.

Commencement for the School of Law’s 18th graduation class also featured a student address from William “Anderson” Rowe L’25 — a U.S. Army veteran, former construction professional, and father of four — whom classmates elected to deliver remarks, and a welcome message from former Student Bar Asosciation president Rebecca “Becca” Bailey L’25.

Rowe praised a class that supported one another through accelerated studies, career changes, professional growth and personal hardships, united by a shared drive to pursue justice and make a difference in the world. He urged graduates to carry their motivations — their “why” — into their careers and to use their voices and new credentials with purpose.

“Whatever your reason, that ‘why’ has carried each of us through challenges like learning how to handle imposter syndrome, our accelerated curriculum, financial pressures and even loss,” he said. “With this Juris Doctor degree, we now can go into our communities, organizations, and workplaces and be the change that we want to see. The world we’re stepping into needs more than just good lawyers. It needs good people who practice law.”

Bailey welcomed graduates and their supporters, encouraging the Class of 2025 to pause, recognize the weight of their achievement, and celebrate the community that helped make it possible.

“We are prepared, equipped, and well able to enter a truly noble profession,” Bailey said. “Welcome to the culmination of all you have worked for and the beginning of your next great adventure.”

The program included the presentation of the David Gergen Award for Leadership & Professionalism, the highest honor bestowed by Elon Law each year on an individual from the graduating class whose activities represent the twin principles of leadership and professionalism. The award is named in honor of David Gergen, a former adviser to four American presidents whose professional life and contributions embodied the highest levels of selfless leadership and service. Gergen served as chair of the Elon Law Advisory Board from its founding until fall 2024. He passed away July 11 at the age of 83.

Professor Enrique Armijo presented the 2025 award to Saniya Pangare L’25, the former co-director of Elon Law’s Pro Bono Board and Student Mentor Program, and a co-editor of the Elon Law Review’s 2025 Symposium.

The ceremony also included a remembrance for Grayson Harris Rehm L’25, who passed away in November 2024. Graduates wore gray and gold cords in his honor, and the class’s gift — thousands raised for the Student Emergency Fund — will support future students facing unexpected hardship. More than 60 percent of the class contributed, and two anonymous donors ensured every graduate could wear the commemorative cords.

In her charge to graduates, ŸĂŸĂÈÈ President Connie Ledoux Book celebrated the Class of 2025’s achievements and resilience, reminding them that their Elon experience — grounded in learning by doing, real-world engagement, and a commitment to service — has prepared them to become stewards of justice in a rapidly changing world.

“Today, you are ready. You enter the profession at a moment when the practice of law is evolving rapidly — shaped by new technologies, shifting expectations and the pressing need for ethical judgment in a fast-moving world,” Book said. “At a time when discourse can be divided and disagreements feel sharp, the legal profession needs practitioners who model civility, clarity and respect.

“Your ability to listen deeply, advocate honorably and engage constructively will strengthen both the profession and the communities you serve.”

“Your ability to listen deeply, advocate honorably and engage constructively will strengthen both the profession and the communities you serve.”

– ŸĂŸĂÈÈ President Connie Ledoux Book

ŸĂŸĂÈÈ School of Law’s Class of 2025

Elizabeth Rose Allred
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chloe Bae Anderson
B.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Christian Anderson
B.S., East Carolina University

Ericka Luana Arauco Anaya
B.A., University Gabriel Rene Moreno

Ethan Nicholas Badin
B.A., Hampden-Sydney College

John Denny Bailey, Jr.
B.S., Francis Marion University

Rebecca Susanne Bailey
B.A., Queens University of Charlotte

Ashley Cecilia Bell
B.S., East Carolina University

Bianca Nicole Blanks
B.A., Capital University

Elizabeth Simone Bradley
B.A., Gardner-Webb University

Karin McKenzie Brannon
B.S., Clemson University

Holden Sebastian Bryant
B.S., Lenoir-Rhyne University

Elizabeth Grace Bullins
B.S., Appalachian State University

Joshua Daniel Burgan
B.A., Appalachian State University

Jack Patrick Cahalane
B.A., Bucknell University

Julianna Ester Clark
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Ashley Claire Clayton
B.A., Emory and Henry University
M.Ed., Emory and Henry University

Jackson Cluff
B.A., Utah Tech University

Jesse Alexander Collin
B.A., University of South Carolina

Matthew Harrison Cornell
B.S., University of Central Florida

Alexis Croce
B.S., The Pennsylvania State University

Whitney Malyn Cronin
B.S., University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Robert Lee Crowder III
B.S., The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

David Cruz Reyes
B.A., Western Carolina University

Stephen Michael Cunnane
B.S., University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Julia Nicole Cunningham
B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Chase Patrick Duran
B.B.A., Florida Atlantic University

Landon Kyle Eckard
B.S., Appalachian State University

Liam Christopher Edsall
B.S., Randolph-Macon College

Frank Garrett Edwards, Jr.
B.A., George Mason University

Anthony David Figueroa
B.B.A., American Military University

Shea Alexander Floyd
B.S., Western Carolina University

April Nicole Franklin
B.S., North Carolina State University
M.S., MBA, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Michael Giannecchini
B.A., Florida Gulf Coast University

Madison Dayle Gilbert
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jackie S. Gill
B.A., University of Texas
M.A., University of Texas
Ph.D., University of Texas

Kelsey E. Greene
B.A., East Carolina University

Diana Lizeth Guevara Reyes
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Quentin P. Haley
B.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Carter William Hall
B.A., Auburn University

Alyson Michele Hanlon
B.S., Pfeiffer University

Madison Herald
B.A., North Carolina State University

Adriana Hernandez Ordonez
B.A., B.A., Eastern Connecticut State University

Reagan Andrew Hess
B.S., University of Florida

Lillie Snow Hester
B.A., Brigham Young University-Idaho

Jordan Channing Holloway
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kimberly Ann Huffman
B.S., Appalachian State University

Olivia Joandrea Hughes
B.A., University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Frederick Christian Hulse
B.A., Wake Forest University

Salvatore Internicola
B.S., Radford University

Molly O’Grady Irwin
B.A., College of Charleston

Brianna S. Izquierdo
B.B.A., Loyola University Maryland

William Zackary Jackson
B.A., North Carolina State University

Sierra Rose Jarrett
B.S., Western Carolina University

Celia Barclay Jones
B.A., North Carolina State University

Madeline Claire Kern
B.A., ŸĂŸĂÈÈ

Lillie Claire Anna Kieken
B.A., Converse University

Thomas Krapp
B.A., University of Pittsburgh

Brian Alexander Kreimer
B.A., Rowan University

Justin Ryan Kremer
B.S., Florida State University

Sadie Elizabeth Lambert
B.S.W. Arizona State University
M.S.W., Arizona State University

Gianna Renee Landrum
B.S., St. Thomas Aquinas College

Nyla Olwen Lewis
B.A., Christopher Newport University

Caroline Moffett Lohn
B.A., Georgia College and State University

McKenna Paige Longo
B.A., University of Delaware

Sophia Maratellos
B.S., Old Dominion University

Daniel Frederick Marshall
B.A., University of Lynchburg

Alicia M. Mathewson
B.S., The University of Akron

Jacqueline Yates May
B.A., B.A., ŸĂŸĂÈÈ

Michael James McClelland
B.A., Davidson College

Kaitlyn McConnell
B.A., East Carolina University

Margaret Mary McDonald
B.A., B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Hailey McGregor
B.A., University of South Carolina

Marcella R. McIntyre
B.A., Roanoke College

Dmitri Craig McKinney
B.A., B.S., North Carolina State University

Madelyn Hanna Mehr
B.A., B.S., North Carolina State University

Briana M. Miller
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Summer Jane Miller
B.S., ŸĂŸĂÈÈ

Kaytlyn M. Mullins
B.A., Western Governors University

Ashley Morgan Myers
B.S., Clemson University

Harrison Penn Nugent
B.S., Auburn University

Adnan R. Omer
B.S., University of South Carolina

Delaney Clare O’Neill
B.A., Western Kentucky University

Jace Alexander Ortman
B.S., University of North Georgia

Laura Elizabeth Overkamp
B.A., George Mason University

Callie Elizabeth Owens
B.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Jayme Taylor Palmer
B.S., East Carolina University

Saniya Y. Pangare
B.S., North Carolina State University

Lindsey Ann Parsons
B.M., DePauw University
M.M., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Reema Manish Patel
B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Caylin Lace Perdue
B.S., Western Carolina University

Ashton Perret-Gentil
B.A., B.S., East Carolina University

Lillie Belle Peterson
B.S., The University of Utah

Taylor Faye Rathbone
B.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Samantha Marie Reid
B.A., Queens University of Charlotte

Gabriella Nicolle Reynolds
B.A., The University of Tennessee

Tristan Anthony Reynolds
B.S., Excelsior University

Hanna Duffy Riley
B.S.M., Tulane University

Cameron Rose Riordan
B.S., West Virginia University

James Tillman Rivenbark
B.S., Birmingham-Southern College

Zinyah Akinyele Robinson
B.A., North Carolina State University

Taylor Renee Rockwood
B.S., Appalachian State University

Jacy Romero
B.A., B.S., Western Carolina University

William Anderson Rowe
B.A., North Carolina State University

Reilly Ann Ruddiman
B.A., University of Washington

Sarah G. Ruffin
B.A., The University of Mississippi

Gavin Elliott Russell
B.A., University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Millenium Dilia Russell
B.S.L.S, Purdue University Global

McKinley Elizabeth Sanders
B.A., Clemson University

Ivey Elizabeth Schofield
B.A., Middlebury College

Jaden Marie Schutt
B.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Emma Patricia Seegers
B.A., University of South Carolina

Darci B. Sharpe
B.S., Liberty University

Ann Estella Sheppard
B.A., B.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Tyler Austin Sherrill
B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Julia Young Shumate
B.S., Liberty University
M.A., Liberty University

Christopher Galen Siefke, Jr.
B.A., B.S., Longwood University

Jennie Lee Slater
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Catherine DeVeaux Snyder
B.S., Clemson University

Austin Charles South
B.S., James Madison University

Savannah Rebekah Stinson
B.A., Winthrop University

Micah Salome Stone
LLB, Independent Institute of Education Varsity College

Taylor Streuli
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kristin Nicole Swilley
B.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte
M.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Nathan Bryant Tessau
B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Anna E. Thomas
B.A., University of Georgia

Hannah Thompson
B.A., B.A., California State University, Chico

Brigid Kildare Tournoux
B.B.A., Southeastern Louisiana University

Karrington Nicole Wallace
B.A., Seton Hall University

Michael Spencer Watkins
B.A., ŸĂŸĂÈÈ

Sophie Grace White
B.A., Colorado State University

Aliya Elaine Williams
B.S., Towson University

Trevor Chase Williams
B.A., Radford University

Brendan Matthew Wood
B.A., Florida Atlantic University

Gavin J. Woolard
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Adam Jozef Zebzda
B.S., Appalachian State University

Moments before, their fighter plane had taken direct hit from German fire.

He aimed their perilous landing on a farm just outside Brussels. McClenny’s feet hit the ground so hard, his boots left an impression in the earth. Upon landing, the lone survivors of a 10-man crew were immediately captured by German soldiers. From a distance, a Belgian farmer watched their descent and hurried to assist. He found only McClenny’s footprints and made a plaster cast to preserve the moment.

Fifty years later, that same patch of ground would become a monument to American servicemembers who helped free Belgium and Europe from Nazi rule.

After the war, McClenny returned to continue studies at ŸĂŸĂÈÈ as a star football player and later become a highly respected educator in his hometown of Pikeville, near Goldsboro, North Carolina.

When his grandson, Trey McClenny L’26, decided to study law at ŸĂŸĂÈÈ, he carried that legacy with him.

“It was always my grandfather’s dream to pursue a law degree,” McClenny said. “By the time he had a chance, my mom and her sisters were grown, and they would have had to move from Pikeville, so it never happened. But when I decided to go to law school, that put Elon at the top of my list. My grandparents aren’t here, but studying here feels like they’re with me for the journey.”

Leading with purpose

Recently elected president of the Student Bar Association at Elon Law in Greensboro, Trey McClenny leads with values of service-leadership that are family traits. As a first-year student, McClenny represented his class in the SBA and helped the organization adopt a new set of bylaws — the first major update since the law school opened in 2006. He also joined the Education Law Society and serves on a faculty-led subcommittee focused on academic climate and student success.

“My grandparents were both deeply invested in people,” Trey McClenny said. “I learned from them that the best kind of success is shared success.”

His passion for advocacy began long before law school. Trey McClenny studied elementary education at UNC Wilmington and spent five years ŸĂŸĂÈÈ second, third and fourth grade in Brunswick County Schools. He thrived in Title I classrooms that served low-income families, finding purpose in helping students discover their strengths.

“I wanted my students to reach their full potential,” he said. “Their wins were my wins.”

But ŸĂŸĂÈÈ also revealed how much policy shapes education.

“I wanted to do more for our schools than I could do from inside the classroom,” he said. “I believe in public schools. They teach more than academics — they teach community and understanding. I want to protect that. Being a lawyer will help me advocate for education in a way that combines both what I know from ŸĂŸĂÈÈ and what I’ll learn from the law.”

A legacy that endures

Trey McClenny grew up in Pikeville just a few miles from where his grandparents built their life together. His grandfather became a beloved teacher and coach and was elected to the Wayne County Board of Education, where he served eight years as its chair. Though he has only faint memories of his grandfather, Trey McClenny often heard stories from former students and athletes remarking how much his ŸĂŸĂÈÈ or coaching influenced their lives. His grandmother balanced a banking career with civic leadership, serving on the town board, leading the Lions Club, and volunteering in projects that strengthened their small community. The two shared a deep bond, and Trey McClenny was influenced by her gregarious altruism.

He was later surprised to find that his grandfather hadn’t shared much about his wartime experiences until later in life. About 10 years after the war, Dave McClenny received a letter from the farmer who preserved his footprints and recovered the flight helmet he lost during his descent. From across the Atlantic, he’d tracked him down to let him know about the preservation of the site and small shrine erected there. Statewide news articles at the time described Dave McClenny’s wonder at the discovery.

In 1995, Dave McClenny returned to Belgium with U.S. dignitaries to dedicate a six-foot tall stone stele as a permanent monument to U.S. forces who liberated the country.

As he looks toward his future in law, advocating for North Carolina’s public schools and the students and teachers he once served from the front of the classroom, Trey McClenny sees Elon Law as a place where service and purpose converge — a community that reflects the same values his grandparents lived by. He often thinks of his grandfather’s footprints preserved in Belgian soil, a reminder that courage and compassion leave a lasting mark.

“It’s a privilege to represent my classmates. I want everyone to feel supported; to know they have someone in their corner,” McClenny said. “That sense of belonging matters to me.”

As an Elon undergrad and football player, now a member of TikTok’s North American legal team, Thompson printed rĂ©sumĂ©s, stuffed envelopes and mailed every NFL franchise to get his foot in the door of professional sports. One team called back: the Detroit Lions. That single response opened his first NFL opportunity in player personnel, setting a tone of persistence and relationship-building that has defined his career ever since.

“You only need one ‘yes’,” Thompson told Elon Law students during a career-building session Wednesday, Sept. 10. “You all should use LinkedIn. Reach out to professionals you admire, people whose career you’d like to emulate. Just reach out. Send a message and ask for a short call to learn about them and their path. Shift your goal from, ‘I need an internship,’ to ‘I want to meet people who know me and like me.’ If that conversation goes well, mention opportunities like Elon Law’s residency program or internships, but more importantly you’ve made a connection and started a relationship you can return to years later.”

From Elon football to Elon Law, Thompson’s path moved through a 1L summer with a sports agency, a residency with the Washington Commanders, his 2L at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, one of Wall Street’s oldest, and most prestigious law firms. That led to his first job, as an associate attorney in Cadwalader’s global litigation and sports law group. He went on to a role as assistant general counsel and a certified NFL agent at Priority Sports & Entertainment, where he negotiated millions of dollars in NFL contracts and advised elite athletes on legal and business matters.

Since 2023, he’s served as legal counsel on TikTok’s North American Legal team, negotiating major sponsorships, closing deals with top creators and celebrities, and supporting TikTok’s high-profile events.

An engaged alumnus, he regularly takes calls and messages from students to connect them with opportunities in his network and mentor them. Thompson is also a member of Elon Law’s advisory board, helping guide the school toward its mission to be the premier law school for practical skills training and experiential learning.

During an hour-long discussion with students, he outlined some key tips for success.

Building a network and nurturing relationships

“Some of your most important professional relationships start here with your classmates,” Thompson said. “Everyone in this room brings their own network and experiences, so take the time to build relationships with your future colleagues.”

Thompson emphasized that relationships grow through shared experiences, collaboration and intentional connection.

Standing out in a competitive job market

Thompson pointed to Elon Law’s hands-on learning model as a powerful way for students to differentiate themselves. With built-in support for securing meaningful 1L and 2L summer positions, alongside a full-time legal residency, students graduate with practical experience that sets them apart.

“If you can walk into interviews with three strong experiences from your summers and residency, you’ll rise to the top of the applicant pool,” he said.

Growing in your career

“The key is learning to adapt to changes — in the market and in your own life,” Thompson said. “I work closely with my clients and make it a point to really immerse myself in their world. The more you understand your clients, the trends shaping their industries, and where the world is headed, the better positioned you are to adapt and stay ahead.”

As his roles have evolved, so has his home life. Now married with a young child, he can’t be accessible at all hours as he once was. He’s set boundaries and redesigned how he mentors and networks, for example consolidating individual calls into bi-monthly group Zoom sessions to protect time for family.

Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer closed with a call-to-action for students.

“A huge part of our job at Elon Law is to allow you to imagine what your life can be, so this is an opportunity to think about what your career and your life could look like,” Kramer said. “The lesson I take from Jordan’s life and career is he chased what he wanted, and he didn’t shy away from talking to each and every person.

“Jordan’s is a story about reaching out, and one about receiving calls as much as making calls. If you take anything from this conversation, it’s that your career is in your control and you have to grab it.”

Superior Court Judge John Morris L’10 encouraged members of the Class of 2027 to nurture their integrity, serve others with kindness, and hold space for life’s enjoyment.

“As you prepare yourselves for the academic rigors of law school and as you plan for your legal career ahead, I want you to consider something this morning even more valuable than academia and your professional career goals: That is your character,” Morris said in a Call to Honor address Tuesday, Aug. 5, as part of New Student Convocation for full-time students at ŸĂŸĂÈÈ School of Law.

“Yes, it is important to earn the grade, to work diligently for that prize internship, but what is most important is how you get there,” he said to 182 incoming students, the largest class in the Elon Law’s history.

Morris is Elon Law’s first graduate to serve as a Superior Court judge, overseeing felony trials, high-value civil cases and appeals in North Carolina’s 22nd Judicial District in Rockingham and Caswell Counties. Among the advice he shared with new students and families gathered in Alumni Gym on ŸĂŸĂÈÈ’s main campus:

• “Dig in and get tougher” when “adversity seems unbearable. Surround yourself with positive individuals who will build you up and not tear you down and focus on improving those aspects in your life of which have control.”

• Find satisfaction in service: “When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. We become more significant individuals as we serve others.

• Make time to enjoy the journey: “The study of law and life in general is a serious business, but 
 let me encourage you to set some time apart to relax, enjoy this season in your life, laugh and face your future with optimism.”

After graduating from Elon Law in 2010, Morris worked for accounting firm KPMG before entering private practice. In 2018, he was appointed as Rockingham County attorney. He was elected as a resident Superior Court judge for Rockingham and Caswell Counties in 2022.

The new student convocation also included remarks from university and law school academic and student leaders, including ŸĂŸĂÈÈ Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Kohn and Rebecca Bailey L’25, president of the Student Bar Association.

• “Today I have the opportunity to introduce you to the law faculty. As teachers, faculty members will help you learn to examine information critically, think analytically, ask questions insightfully and reflect thoughtfully on what you’re learning. They will stretch you and challenge you more than you thought possible, and I hope you will embrace this opportunity to work with these outstanding thinkers.” – Provost Rebecca Kohn
• “I will not be the first nor the last person to tell you that you are entering a noble profession. We are advocates. Counselors. Enforcers of justice. You have entered a profession where people look to you for your wisdom and guidance. You will be a pioneer and a leader in your community. I charge you now with being worthy of such a call.” – Rebecca Bailey L’25

During the ceremony, each student’s name and ŸĂŸĂÈÈ alma mater were read aloud as they signed a poster with the four tenets of the Honor Code: honesty, integrity, responsibility and respect. The poster will be displayed inside the law school commons. Kohn then gifted an acorn to each member of the class. At Elon, which is the Hebrew word for “oak,” all new students receive an acorn as they begin their studies, a symbol of their potential for growth.

Graduates later receive an oak sapling at Commencement ceremonies, a tradition that began more than three decades ago.

Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer concluded the ceremony by urging members of the Class of 2027 to support each other and make the most of their law school experience.

“In keeping with Judge Morris’ wonderful call to honor, I encourage you to think about all of those choices and do the best you can to make good choices, to invest in not only your career, but your classmates’ careers,” Kramer said. “Lawyers serve a noble profession, but most importantly, we serve clients and work for people who work on behalf of the community.

“Make choices and decisions while you’re here with us that look towards your future, the kind of lawyer you’re going to be and how you’re going to serve the community,” said Kramer.

About ŸĂŸĂÈÈ School of Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 1,700 alumni since opening its doors in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students, and the law school is regularly featured in the top tier of PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study for place-bound students at ŸĂŸĂÈÈ’s Charlotte campus, welcomes its second cohort in Fall 2025.

McClanahan is managing partner at the in Greensboro, with expertise in estate planning, elder law and probate and trust administration. She co-authored the North Carolina edition of “How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs” and regularly speaks on elder law topics to state residents. Earlier this year, she was appointed to the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys’ Board of Governors.

“I’m deeply honored to be recognized by the ABA as one of this year’s top 40 Young Lawyers,” McClanahan said. “This award reflects the values I strive to uphold every day: compassion, clarity and commitment to the families we serve. I’m grateful to my colleagues and mentors who continue to inspire and challenge me, and I look forward to advancing the practice of estate and elder law with integrity and heart.”

The annual is administered by the . It recognizes newer lawyers who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service, the ABA said.

McClanahan earned a B.S. in business administration from North Carolina State University before completing her juris doctor at Elon Law and becoming barred in 2015. In addition to her practice, she has taught elder law graduate courses at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro.

“We are over-the-moon proud of Blaire,” said Cheryl David, founder of the Law Offices of Cheryl David. “Her work ethic, empathy for clients and ability to translate complex estate and elder law issues into clear guidance for families are true gifts. This ABA recognition confirms what we get to see every day: Blaire is a force for good in our clients’ lives and in our profession.”