Legacy Update on the Class of 2017: Where They Went, What They're Doing, Where They're Going

(Left to Right: Henry Leaman, Imokhai Okolo, Reeti Pal, Maria O’Keeffe, Ryan Rugani, Adam Korn)

After a long, long hiatus, we decided it’s time to reboot the Blog. We solemnly believe that silver linings exist while we are all cooped up in our homes. We learned separation is merely a mindset, and we are thankful to remain connected despite our various stay-at-home orders, quarantines, or miles between us. We learned the Legacy is strong.

In the spirit of connectedness, we thought it was appropriate to check in and catch up with a few of the members of the Legacy from the class of 2017. MMT’s class of 2017 created the core of the National Championship Team which debuted in Los Angeles representing Alex Taylor, budding playwright, and Trifecta Entertainment Studios, alleged theatrical thief, in a copyright infringement action. You may know the names, either from the annals of MMT old or, in some cases, from the current scene of the AMTA circuit. We took time to catch up with some of the class to find out what their post-MMT life looks like.

Regrettably, we could not catch Ryan Rugani. Despite not talking with him, we know his MMT successes. Rugani’s spent his time in MMT as an attorney on various teams, maxing out his advocacy abilities as an attorney on that Nationals team in Los Angeles. After graduation, Rugani went to D.C. for some time until he landed in NYC. 

Rugani with teammate Reeti Pal at the NCT in Los Angeles, 2017; we hope this was taken either before or after a trial

Rugani has unofficially helped various programs in the New York area after his time with MMT.

Last we heard from Rugani, he was still living in New York City. We wish him, and everyone there, well and health, especially considering the seriousness of the COVID outbreak in the City.

We did get to speak with Henry Leaman. You may remember Leaman from his various bouts as a top-tier, what some call, “character expert.” Leaman’s last expert he played, Jordan Rosenthall, was an expert in theatre. It sounds ironic that Leaman acted like an expert on acting, but that’s what AMTA gave us. Additionally, Leaman was MMT’s go-to hype man. You’ve probably seen some of Leaman’s videos that he made during his time with MMT and, if you haven’t, you’re missing out. Leaman’s personality is positively contagious (bad adjective right now but we aren’t changing it).

Leaman doing his best Pete Buttigieg impression in downtown Chicago.

Even after graduation, mock trial has not been far from Leaman. Leaman coached a local high school mock trial team and Notre Dame A while in law school. If you have not heard of Notre Dame, here’s what you need to know: (1) Notre Dame has not qualified for the NCT for years, (2) Leaman was hired to coach Notre Dame A in the fall of 2019, and (3) Notre Dame A qualified for the NCT in the Spring of 2020. Everyone prepping for the civil case next year can look up “causation” now. Leaman was there cheering when his team was announced at the Geneva ORCS—we saw it ourselves—and it was magical.

When we caught up with Leaman, he had just graduated from Notre Dame with his J.D. While at Notre Dame, Leaman competed on the Moot Court team and was a member of the Notre Dame Moot Court Board where he coordinated and competed in appellate advocacy competitions featuring both written and oral arguments. Additionally, Henry was a member of the Notre Dame Law Review. There, he published a Note on exceptions to sexual harassment lawsuits for employees of state level public officials. https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndlr/vol95/iss1/9. You can also find Leaman on Twitter—if you’re looking for a law review topic, Leaman has a great thread going with COVID-related law review article topic ideas.

After graduation, Leaman will join the law firm of Jenner & Block as an associate in their Chicago office. We wish Leaman the best of luck as he starts his legal career.

Next, we caught up with Imokhai Okolo, affectionately known to some in MMT as “Swag-wan.” That’s because we could count on Okolo’s strong presence, booming voice, and flash of personality—collectively, “swag”—to put big numbers on ballots. Okolo premiered as an attorney who famously in MMT lore misspelled “not guilty” on a white board in one of his first closings. Fast forward a few years later and he would help lead the team of attorneys in Los Angeles. Okolo never left the AMTA circuit. You can still find him coaching Case Western Reserve University’s AMTA teams with another MMT alumnus, Brad Ouambo. Okolo is also active in his community and volunteers his time with various local community organizing efforts in political and politically-adjacent sectors.

Okolo and his partner performing at Baylor Law School’s Top Gun

When we talked with Okolo, he had just graduated from the University of Akron College of Law with his J.D. At law school, Okolo found resounding success in the University of Akron’s College of Law trial advocacy team. Okolo competed in various trial advocacy competitions, most notably in Top Gun, a one-on-one law school trial advocacy competition where only the best schools in the nation are invited to send an advocate to Baylor Law School to prepare a case in 24 hours. Okolo represented Akron and MMT well when he won first place in the National Online Trial Advocacy Competition where attorneys from across the country voted Okolo’s opening statement the best in the country. When not in the courtroom, Okolo was a member of the Akron Law Review and was the student director of Akron Law’s Driver’s License Clinic, VALID.

After graduation, Okolo will work at the law firm of Jones Day as an associate in their Cleveland office. We wish Okolo the best of luck as he starts his legal career as well.

O’Keeffe and Najeeb Ahmed, MMT class of 2016, at the Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica in the summer of 2019

Next came Maria “Katie” O’Keeffe. O’Keeffe found her way to the top of MMT relatively quick in her career, putting up numbers for the A-Team during her freshman year as Charlie Kaminski, luxury taxi-cab services with a Jersey twist and personalized business cards to boot. In 2015, O’Keeffe would earn her first All-American witness award. A year later, she would earn her second. Oh, did we mention that each time, she was the highest-ranked witness at the entire National Championship Tournament? O’Keeffe was a master of character and was never afraid to take that character as far as a crossing attorney would let her. After graduation, O’Keeffe couldn’t shake the AMTA bug and coached American University for two years.

When we talked with O’Keeffe, she was finishing her first year at the University of Chicago College of Law. O’Keeffe graduated ahead of the curve from Miami (notice those black robes above?) with her B.A. and Masters in political science. Then, O’Keeffe moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as a paralegal for a boutique labor law firm, Guerrieri, Bartos & Roma. O’Keeffe knew she wanted to go to law school for years, so O’Keeffe decided to hit the books for her third degree after she was admitted to U-Chicago Law, currently tied for the fourth-best law school in the country per the U.S. News and World Reports. O’Keeffe reports it was “1L of a year,” but we have faith she’s doing great.

We are proud of O’Keeffe’s success and know she will have much more success to report at U-Chicago and beyond in the years to come.

The next alumna we spoke with is Reeti Pal. Pal was a dynamic witness who found most of her success as those hard science experts we all love to put in bow ties, give British accents, and adorn with an extendable pointer. Pal played the game, but didn’t need the gimmicks to put points on ballots. Instead, Pal relied on her actual interests—medicine and psychology—to inject some real science into Midlands. Pal found success as forensics investigators and doctors of various disciplines. Pal also dabbled in character witnesses, hanging up her lab coat in exchange for a cardigan to portray Corey Hyde, executive assistant to Avery Bancroft, in the 2015-16 regular season case State v. Bancroft and Covington.

Pal, far left, with her med school classmates, white coats in hand

When we talked to Pal, she was finishing her third year of med school at the Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis. Pal has taken coursework in various disciplines and is planning on declaring a psychiatry residency in the Fall. Additionally, Pal is volunteering with her local health department with COVID case investigations, ensuring her community remains safe from the disease. Pal regaled the best part of med school was when she helped successfully deliver a baby. In her free time, Pal is learning to bake bread but, so far, the bread is winning.

We are happy Pal is our pal. We wish her health while she works with those who are sick right now, and we wish her well as she starts her residency program next year. 

Last but not least, we talked with Adam Korn. While at Miami, Korn played a fantastic attorney, but we loved his party or party representative portrayals most. The brash and potentially ageist Sawyer Shaw, the drug dealing but innocent Skylar Sinclair, the double-crossed Alex Taylor—Korn always brought the witnesses to life, sparking joy Marie Kondo style while he cracked jokes from the witness stand that somehow fit with the witness he portrayed. Internally, Korn was well known for his humor and quick quips in practices as well, most of which stuck around for some time and became inside jokes to his team. We could always count on Korn for a laugh either in trial or out.

Korn performs an oral argument in front of a packed audience at a moot court competition

When we talked to Korn, he had just graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. While in law school, Korn was a member of the University of Southern California’s moot court team where he polished his written advocacy and oral advocacy skills. Korn earned second place at the Hale Moot Court Competition his second year at law school, and was a member of the moot court program’s National Team. Additionally, Korn externed with the United States Attorney’s Office civil division, working with and learning from the Assistant United States Attorneys in various civil matters in which the federal government was involved.

After graduation, Korn will join the law firm of Michelman & Robinson LLP as an associate in their Los Angeles office. We wish Korn the best of luck as he begins his legal career.

We hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as we enjoyed connecting with some of our recent alumni. The Class of 2017’s collective successes in MMT and since graduation are a testament to the strength, depth, and ability of the Legacy. Below is a photo of the six members of the Class of 2017 in Los Angeles mere hours after finishing in the Top Ten in the Nation for Miami’s tenth consecutive year in 2017. We invite you to return to the blog frequently to check up on what some of our other members are writing about this summer, the Legacy, and auditions. Love and Honor! 

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