Kristen Kugel, judged at the John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition on Friday, February 7, 2014. The Costello competition is in its seventh year and was designed by retired Judge Jonathan Thacher of the Fairfax County Circuit Court. This competition is unique from other trial advocacy competitions because new facts and witnesses are revealed to the law school competitors as the competition progresses. This mimics the unexpected twists and turns of a real-life criminal trial.