By Andrew Cohen
Berkeley Law doesn’t offer basketball as part of its robust curriculum, but school was definitely in session April 19 at Haas Pavilion.
At the third annual Order on the Court game against a Stanford Law student team, Berkeley extended its undefeated run with a master class effort — from the players who stormed to a 70-46 victory and 20 cheerleaders who kept spirits high to the Pro Bonotes’ a capella performance and hundreds of fans providing a raucous atmosphere.
“My favorite part of the game was the energy the fans brought,” says 1L James Steinberger, who led both teams with 19 points. “This was my first Order on the Court game, and I was genuinely impressed by the turnout and enthusiasm. I loved playing off the crowd’s energy.”
The event bolsters Berkeley Law’s Summer Public Interest Fellowship Fund, which supports 1Ls and 2Ls doing summer public interest legal work for a nonprofit, a government agency, or a state or federal judge if they complete 25 hours of pro bono or qualifying volunteer work. This year’s fundraising total will be finalized later in the spring.
Students spend months working together to arrange logistics, secure sponsorships, coordinate regular team practice sessions, and plenty more for Order on the Court. Yet amid tryouts and weekly practices, regular cheerleader rehearsals, information sessions, insurance applications, and a never-ending stream of details to iron out, the energy and commitment levels never wavered.
The event was put on by the Student Association at Berkeley Law, with Co-Presidents Ben Shipman and Dexter Lim serving as emcees.
You can see a photo gallery that captures the pregame atmosphere, game action, halftime performances, and post-game celebrations.
A sizzling start
Locked in from the opening tip, 1L James Steinberger fueled Berkeley Law’s furious charge to start the game — scoring 11 of his points in the first quarter — which ended with Berkeley holding a jaw-dropping 21-4 lead.
After the deficit slimmed to 27-13 midway through the second quarter, swarming defensive pressure thwarted any potential comeback. Berkeley Law steals helped lead to three straight layups, two by Izzy DeTroy, en route to a 22-point lead entering the half.
At halftime, the Pro Bonotes serenaded the arena and Berkeley Law’s cheer squad kept the crowd hyped with a high-energy dance routine to a mashup of songs by Cardi B, Gunna, Brittany Spears, and KPop Demon Hunters. The cheerleaders practiced weekly for two months leading up to the event.
“Order on the Court has truly been one of the highlights of my law school experience,” says Aaniyah Hicks, who cheered competitively throughout middle school and high school and in all three Order on the Court games. “Not only does it raise important funds for public interest students, but it also lets us tap back into the energy and joy from activities that helped shape us: building confidence, teaching balance and teamwork, and encouraging participation in any way we can. One of the best parts was getting to connect with such an amazing group of people I might not have met otherwise, while also getting to show off our Berkeley pride in a fun and spirited way.”
A former college player at Occidental, Steinberger credited diligent preparation, quality coaching, and strong team chemistry for the team’s dominant performance. He also praised tenacious defense and rebounding from a rotation of undersized players against the Stanford team’s 6-foot-10 center that included Adam Dean, Davis Rich, Mitchell Lee, Wyatt McHale, Spencer Englert, Tyler Vondriska, and Kevin Piotrowski.
“Over the last few months, we got to know each other’s playing styles well and could anticipate where people would be and when, which led to some great plays,” Steinberger says.
The co-ed game — each team must have no more than three male players on the court at the same time — showcased Berkeley Law’s extraordinary depth. In all, 14 different players on the team scored.
“It was amazing that so many of us were able to contribute to the win,” says 1L Wilson Conn, who drained two three-point shots and finished with 10 points. “Our coaches told us in advance that we would substitute frequently, and this meant that we were able to attack Stanford from many angles with diverse offensive skill sets.”
Loud and proud
3L Faith Magbero also nailed two three-pointers, including a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter that sparked a thunderous ovation from the Berkeley fans — and her own personal cheering section.
“I could hear my friends calling out my name from the crowd and saw my teammates on the bench standing up,” Magbero says. “I couldn’t help but smile for the rest of the game. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Several players described a joyful process long before the game itself, pointing to fun practice sessions that created a welcome break from class assignments and new friendships with people in different class years — many of whom they might not otherwise have met.
Despite playing basketball much of her life, for the inaugural game in 2024 Magbero decided to volunteer rather than play, giving out T-shirts and working behind the snack bar. But after playing in last year’s victory in Palo Alto, getting back on the court in her final law school year was a no-brainer.
“Participating in Order on the Court was an amazing experience — the camaraderie, practices, and atmosphere of the game itself is unmatched,” she says. “I’ve made close friends on the team simply through our shared love of basketball, and playing in the game has shown me just how supportive our Berkeley Law community is.”
Student Commitment Fuels Success
As budding lawyers, 3Ls Emi-Lee Commisso and Meghan Mitchell value facts and evidence over whimsical notions of destiny. Still, they won’t deny that fate played a huge role in their law school experience.
While first-year students in the same mod, Commisso told Mitchell about her Legal Research and Writing tutor Hannah Naylor ’24 — the catalyst for Order on the Court after hearing about a similar fundraising game between law students from Columbia and New York University. As fellow rabid basketball fans and former high school players, they quickly agreed to help Naylor bring the game to life, with Commisso joining the organizing committee and Mitchell becoming assistant coach.
“We captured lightning in a bottle,” Commisso says. “Students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and family all attended a nearly 800-person event. The show of support was truly remarkable and the energy in the gym was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my years of sports. Not only did we come away with our first victory, we were importantly able to raise a notable sum of money for Berkeley Law’s Summer Public Interest Fellowship Fund.”
When Naylor and committee co-leader Kendrick Peterson ’24 graduated, the torch was passed on to the remaining four committee members.
“It takes countless hours, meetings, phone calls, emails, and logistical preparations to organize Order on the Court,” Commisso says. “Over the course of a year, the committee puts all of their blood, sweat, and tears into planning this event. I’m forever grateful for the lessons learned, the memories made, and the lifelong friendships.”
Mitchell credits head coach and Berkeley Law lecturer Michael Bracamontes for welcoming her ideas as assistant coach, noting that they “quickly developed a strong working relationship that has been incredibly successful and personally satisfying.” After the inaugural game, she adds, “I knew I wanted to keep coaching because helping develop the team from individual players to a cohesive group meant more to me than trying to lace up my shoes one last time.”
The most satisfying aspect of Mitchell’s three-year involvement — and why she continued to invest time in the event — was creating a space where people could gather, enjoy themselves before finals, and raise money for a cause that benefits students, the law school, and society as a whole.
“Order on the Court has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my law school career,” she says. “I’ve always felt that it helps bring out the best in an already awesome Berkeley Law community.”