Making Her Case: Anjika Pai on Moot Court Wins, Mentorship & Finding Her Voice

TAP Alum Anjika Pai Closes Law School Career with Kaufman Moot Court Victory

This spring, The Appellate Project (TAP) alumna Anjika Pai (2024) helped lead her team to a major win at the prestigious Kaufman Moot Court Competition, one of the nation’s premier appellate advocacy tournaments.

Following her team’s victory, we sat down with Pai to reflect on her law school journey, the experience of competing at Kaufman, and how her passion for appellate law took shape along the way.

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Finding Her Voice

Pai’s journey into appellate advocacy began with a love of storytelling—and a push from a mentor.

“I like the creative process of taking complex legal issues and transforming them into compelling narratives,” Pai shared. “My 1L TA noticed my excitement during our Legal Research & Writing assignment and encouraged me to try moot court. That advice changed my path.”

From winning best runner-up brief at the National Environmental Moot Court Competition to taking on securities law at Kaufman, Pai embraced every opportunity to stretch her skills.

“The subject didn’t matter,” she reflected. “I found that I loved appellate argument no matter what the underlying issue was.”

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A Team Effort

At Northeastern University School of Law, Pai and her teammates, Marcus Bockhorst and Billy Czerwinski, prepared for Kaufman outside their full-time co-op placements.

“Our preparation was self-organized,” she said. “We’d start with a strong argument and challenge each other back and forth until we couldn't find any remaining points. It was like a dog chasing its tail—tedious at times, but exhilarating.”

Arguing before federal judges in the final round was another memorable milestone. “Their questions came from a place of genuine curiosity, not ‘gotcha’ moments,” Pai said. “I appreciated their engagement and their insights on appellate law.”

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Building Confidence with TAP

As a first-generation law student, Pai hadn’t heard of appellate practice before her 1L year. The Appellate Project helped change that.

“TAP made appellate law feel accessible,” she said. “Through roundtables, court visits, and mentorship, I learned what it takes—and more importantly, that I belonged.”

Mentorship was especially powerful. “Seeing women of color like Anisha Kingra and Jacqueline Iwata thriving in appellate law made it easier to imagine myself at the lectern,” Pai shared.

Lightning Round: One Word to Describe...

We asked Pai to share one word that captures different parts of her journey:

  • Law school life right now: Celebratory 🎉

  • The Kaufman competition experience: Rewarding 🏆

  • TAP’s impact on her journey: Immeasurable 🌟

  • Future career goals: Unlimited 🚀

Congratulations again to Anjika Pai on this outstanding achievement! We are proud to celebrate her success and the bright future ahead.

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