In A Full-Circle Moment, Two Peers Face Off in the Same Courtroom
While some attorneys don’t have the opportunity to litigate until deep in their legal careers, many UNH Franklin Pierce students get a head start, gaining trial experience through our clinics and legal residencies. This semester, two of our powerhouse 3Ls had the unique experience of facing each other in a criminal jury trial in .
Madison Snyder, a 3L from Greenwood, Indiana, has been working with the (MCAO) as an intern since May of 2025, and plans to practice criminal law after graduating this spring. Madison has worked as a State Police Dispatcher throughout law school, and hearing about the troopers’ and dispatchers’ experiences pushed her to intern with the MCAO.
Jack Champagne, a Concord native and Daniel Webster Scholar, has spent his 3L year as a legal resident at the New Hampshire Public Defender. After graduation, Jack will begin clerking at the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and he is interested in continuing criminal defense work in the future.
At trial, both Madison and Jack relied on the foundational skills they built through their experiential coursework at the law school, specifically their trial advocacy classes. “I was able to get a lot of my fears out of the way in the class,” says Madison, and “it gave me the grounding to know about what was going on, what was expected of me, and how to maneuver myself in the courtroom.”
This was Madison’s fourth jury trial, and Jack’s first, though Jack has previously done bench trials and numerous hearings through his residency, which he says helped him feel more prepared for the two-day trial. Jack’s co-counsel from NHPD, Milica Degges, is also a UNH Franklin Pierce alumna.
On facing Madison at trial, Jack remarked, “it didn’t feel like we were law students in that moment. I was so locked into the trial that I forgot her and I were still 3Ls. I could have been going against any other lawyer, and it wouldn’t have felt any different!”
Madison reflected that “Jack and I were in the same section during our 1L year, and it was definitely a full-circle moment to see each other while litigating a case. As his peer, I know that Jack is a very kind and intelligent person, so I was grateful for the experience to work with him as my opposing counsel.”
Visit the Legal Residency Program for more information.
