CHAMBERS

Mattison Stewart is the co-creator and developer of the Advocate’s Advantage. She is a 2022 graduate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and was one of the Executive Directors of Haub Law’s Advocacy Program. As the co-creator and developer of the Advocate’s Advantage, Mattison is responsible for the inception of the advocacy blog, an editor and advisor on all potential submissions, and an author. During law school, Mattison competed in the All Star Bracket Challenge (Fall 2021 and Fall 2022), where in the Fall of 2022, she was a Region Champion and National Semifinalist, also earning a Best Advocate Award. In the spring of 2021, Mattison competed in the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition where she and her team won the regional rounds and advanced to the national rounds, where they were named National Finalists, 2nd out of 192 teams. Spring 2022, Mattison returned to AAJ and won the regional rounds, advancing to nationals and placing as National Semifinalists. Mattison received the Dean Michelle Simon Leadership Award and the Professor Keith Sullivan Award for Professor Keith Sullivan Award for exemplary, outstanding, and professional performance in advocacy competitions. Mattison is clerking in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division for the Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, J.S.C. 

Michaela Petersen is a recent 2022 graduate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and served as one of the Haub Law Advocacy Program’s Internal Competitions Directors. Additionally, she was one of the editors for the Advocate’s Advantage and the creator and author of Booklore, the book review column published monthly on the Advocate’s Advantage. Her passion for advocacy began in the fall of 2020 when she was a shadow member for a mock trial team. Then in spring 2021, Michaela competed at the Student Trial Advocacy Competition run by the American Association for Justice, where she and her team advanced and placed third. In fall of 2021, Michaela was captain of her mock trial team that competed in the In Vino Veritas Mock Trial Competition run by Golden Gate University School of Law, where they finished as Quarterfinalists. Spring 2022 she continued as captain leading her team as they competed in the National Trial Competition run by the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association. At the end of her third year, Michaela was a recipient of the Professor Keith Sullivan Award from the Pace Law Advocacy Program, which recognizes the recipient’s exemplary, outstanding, and professional performance in advocacy competitions for the 2021-2022 school year. Michaela is clerking in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division for the Honorable Keith A. Bachmann J.S.C.

Justin Bennion is a 2022 graduate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and served as one of the Haub Law Advocacy Program’s Directors of Moot Skills. Additionally, he was an editor of the Advocate’s Advantage. In fall 2020, Justin earned a spot on the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court team as a writer and will continue as the writer and captain for the 2021 season. Justin competed in the Stetson Pre-Trial National Mock Trial Competition in the fall of 2021. Justin is clerking in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division, for the Honorable Justine A. Niccollai J.S.C. 

Marlene Geerinck is a 2022 graduate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and served as one of the Haub Law Advocacy Program’s Internal Competition Directors. Marlene’s interest in advocacy was sparked while preparing for her 1L Moot Court Competition. She knows the intricacies of trial advocacy will provide for a challenging and rewarding career. In the fall of 2020, Marlene had the opportunity to shadow the Hofstra Medical Trial Competition team. Then in the spring of 2021, she competed on the Trials and Tribulations Mock Trial team, in addition to competing as an oralist for Pace Law’s International Criminal Court Moot Team. This fall, Marlene competed in the In Vino Veritas Mock Trial Competition run by Golden Gate University School of Law and placed as Quarterfinalists. She competed in the National Trial Competition run by the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association. Marlene will be sworn in as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department.

Dounea Elbroji is a 2022 graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and served as one of the Haub Law Advocacy Program’s Fundraising and Alumni Relations Directors. She first became interested in advocacy during a high school Mock Trial class, and has been hooked ever since. During the Fall 2020 semester, Dounea had the opportunity to shadow the Hofstra Medical Trial Competition team. In the Spring of 2021, Dounea competed on the Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition team, where she and her team advanced to the semi-final round and finished amongst the Top Four teams. In Fall 2021, Dounea competed in In Vino Veritas Mock Trial Competition run by Golden Gate University School of Law and was a Quarterfinalist. In spring 2022, she competed in the National Trial Competition run by the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association. Dounea is working at Grossbach, Grossbach, Tramaglini & Hayes, P.C. 

Marina de Souza is a graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Marina’s first introduction to trial advocacy was during her second year of law school during her trial advocacy class where she found a new passion. Marina competed in her first competition, Battle of the Experts in Fall 2021. Marina is looking forward to a career in criminal justice. 

Evan Patton is a graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Evan competed in the Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition of 2021, serving as Team Captain and advancing to the octofinal round with his fellow team members. Evan also competed in the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition of 2022. Evan served in the United States Peace Corps in Central America, from 2015-17. As a Paul D. Coverdell fellow, Evan earned a Master’s in International Studies from the University of Denver in 2019. He served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Ignacio Torteya III, in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Texas in the summer of 2021. This summer, Evan looks forward to beginning a fulfilling track at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsten & Loewy in New York City.

Ashley Corbin is a 2023 graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and has served as a General Board Member for the Advocacy Program. Ashley served as The Advocate’s Advantage Blog Director on the 2022-2023 Advocacy Honor Board. She competed as an oralist for the school’s moot court team at the Willem C. Vis International Moot Court Competition. She participated as a shadow member on the school’s mock trial team for the In Vino Veritas Golden Gate National Mock Trial Competition. Ashley finished as a semi-finalist in 2021 1L Louis V. Fasulo Moot Court Competition and went on to compete in the Advanced Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition her 2L fall semester. She currently works as a Law Clerk at Handal & Morofsky LLC and hopes to pursue a career in Intellectual Property Litigation.

Luis Evangelista is a 2024 graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Luis served as a General Board Member for the Advocacy Program in 2022. He served as the Director of The Advocate’s Advantage Blog on the 2023-2024 Advocacy Executive Honor Board. He was an oralist for the team representing Haub Law at the 30th and 31st Willem C. Vis International Moot Court Competition. He was a semifinalist at the 2022 National Latino Law Students Association (NLLSA) Moot Court Competition. He hopes to pursue a career in labor and employment.

Natale F. Corsi is an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, Trial Bureau 60. Natale graduated Magna Cum Laude from Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in 2019, where he participated in several mock trial competitions including: The Mockingbird Challenge & National Criminal Trial Competition. Since graduating, Natale has continued his participation in Pace Law School Trial Advocacy by coaching trial advocacy teams including the AAJ 2021 National Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC) where his team was regional semifinalists and ultimately placed third & the 10th Annual Professor Bernie L. Segal National Criminal Mock Trial Competition. Outside of the field of Law, Natale competed in and coached Mixed Martial Arts while successfully advocating for the legalization of Mixed Martial Arts in New York.

Jared Hatcliffe is a Senior Counsel in the Tort Division of the New York City Law Department where he has been a Trial Attorney for the past 20 years and is an adjunct professor at Haub Law since spring 2018 where he teaches Trial Advocacy and Motion Practice. Professor Hatcliffe is the co-creator of the Advocate’s Advantage and is the advisor and editor overseeing all submissions and posts. A recipient of the Municipal Affairs Award from the New York City Bar, Professor Hatcliffe is one of the moderators and instructors for the Tort Division’s in-house trial training and has taught programs at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for the past several years and lectured at Oxford University in Trial Advocacy. He has also taught criminal procedure at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Professor Hatcliffe is a co-author of New York Criminal Procedure: An Analytical Approach to Statutory, Constitutional and Case Law for Criminal Justice Professionals, 3d Ed., Morse, Gorman and Hatcliffe and is excited that he published a trial advocacy text, entitled “Trial Advocacy: The Art of Story Telling; Strategies For Winning a Trial in New York State Court,” in the Spring of 2022.