University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law National Trial Team members Alex Tamayo ’25 (middle left) and Ashley Travis ’25 (middle right) took first place at the National Trial Competition (NTC) regional competition, which took place the last weekend in January. NTC is the nation’s oldest and one of the most prestigious law school advocacy tournaments.
The duo will advance to NTC nationals, April 2-6, in Houston, Texas, where the top teams from 15 regions across the nation will compete for the national title. This is the second year in a row that Maryland Carey Law will send a team to NTC nationals.
The regional competition featured 22 teams from 12 law schools, including Georgetown Law, Howard University School of Law, Scalia Law (George Mason University), George Washington University Law School, Washington School of Law (American University), and University of Virginia School of Law. The second team advancing to nationals came from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Tamayo and Travis went undefeated over six rounds of competition. They were coached by National Trial Team alums Becca Wells ’24 (far right) and Thomas Kiley ’24 (far left). Fittingly, Wells and Kiley were the team from Maryland Carey Law that won this same tournament in 2024.
Tamayo is grateful not just for this big win, but also for the vital training she is getting as part of the National Trial Team at Maryland Carey Law.
“After preparing for this competition for nearly two months, winning the National Trial Competition for our region felt like more than just a 'win' for Maryland. It felt like proof of something I had known from the beginning—that the Maryland Carey Law National Trial Team thoroughly prepares us for our futures as litigators,” said Tamayo, who will join the litigation department at Semmes, Bowen & Semmes after sitting for the bar this summer. “The weekend was long, and our opponents were fierce—but our training, support, and guidance from our coaches, alumni, and other members of the National Trial Team guided us through each round.”
Maryland Carey Law’s second team, consisting of Giovanna Monti ’25 and Abdullah Khan ’26, went undefeated in the preliminary rounds and finished as regional semifinalists. They were coached by Lindsey Rennie ’19 and Gus Glazov ’24.
In addition to competing, this was the second year in a row that Maryland Carey Law hosted the NTC regional tournament. With an outstanding turnout from the local bar and bench, more than 150 attorneys, sitting judges, and Maryland Carey Law alumni visited the law school throughout the weekend.
Though they did not all compete, the entire National Trial Team was involved in the tournament, serving as bailiffs, witnesses, and competition staff. Several first-year students also volunteered to play witnesses in the preliminary and playoff trials.
“This was truly a community-wide effort to host and succeed at the nation’s oldest advocacy tournament,” reflected Salsbury Director of Trial Advocacy Ben Garmoe. “We are proud of Alex and Ashley’s accomplishment and wish them well as they prepare for nationals in April.”