DJDS Moot Court Team Goes to Nationals, Wins First Place

DJDS sophomore Dalia Arch-Andorsky made history earlier this year, going from nearly not attending the competition to winning at the national level. 

For the second year in a row, Denver Jewish Day School participated in the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, a project where interested high school students can participate in moot court, a process where students simulate arguments at the appellate court level in front of a panel of judges. 

“It [moot court] brings out the best in a whole bunch of students,” said Dr. Jeremy Golubcow-Teglasi (Dr. G-T), DJDS upper-division principal and moot court coach. “I feel lucky to have students to work with who are so motivated… but also have so much fun with it.” 

At the statewide competition at CU Law School in Boulder, Dalia Arch-Andorsky won best overall, and freshman Kobi Benel won best oralist in the final round.

After competing in the competition, Arch-Andorsky, Benel, and sophomore Julie Steiner all qualified and were set to compete at the 2025 National Moot Court tournament. 

Originally, Arch-Andorsky wasn’t planning to attend the Boulder competition due to a conflicting Shabbaton. But after a scheduling mix-up, she was able to compete and ultimately went on to win at the national level. “I really didn’t expect to get this far,” Arch-Andorsky said. “It felt really incredible and surreal.” 

As only six students from Colorado go to the national tournament, DJDS represented half of the whole Colorado delegation. With the national tournament set, all three students went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this March with Dr. G-T to argue in a federal courthouse.

After the main rounds, Benel made it to the semifinals, and Arch-Andorsky advanced to the final round, in which she won, placing her as the national champion for the side of the Petitioner. 

“If you saw her [Dalia] perform, you wouldn't think she was a high schooler," said Steiner in response to Arch-Andorsky’s performance at Nationals. “She was locked into beast mode. She started arguing in this way that we've never heard her practice before.”

While DJDS student Ari Erlich (class of 2024) won second place for her side at nationals last year, breaking a record, Arch-Andorsky broke that record by claiming first place this year. 

“We always hoped that Moot Court would continue after we graduated, and it is incredible to see that we continue improving each and every year,” Erlich said. “I hope the club [moot court] will continue to allow students to learn and grow.”

Not only that, but DJDS was the only Jewish school represented, not only at the statewide competition but also at the national competition. However, that didn’t stop anyone on the moot court team. “We are representing the Jewish People,” Steiner said. “We were exactly where we were supposed to be.”