Community - Michael Kitzman - Profile
Michael Kitzman worked with mock trial teams during his career as a litigator. Now as associate director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy, he brings a deep understanding of and passion for trial advocacy to Loyola’s highly ranked program.
Courting progress
Michael Kitzman trains tomorrow’s trial lawyers
It would be hard to say whether the hired or the hirer felt more fortunate when Michael Kitzman joined the School of Law this fall as associate director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy. Having worked with mock trial teams during most of his 17-year career as a litigator, Kitzman brings a deep understanding of and passion for trial advocacy to Loyola’s highly ranked program.
It was in law school at American University in Washington that Kitzman discovered he wanted to be a trial lawyer. After graduation, he launched a career—eventually establishing his own firm—representing clients in workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, where he felt he could “help people get through a tough part of their life,” he says.
Love of the courtroom and a desire to serve also led Kitzman back to American to volunteer with mock trial teams. He began, he says, “helping out once or twice a semester” to deliver a guest lecture or to play a judge, a witness, or another role at trial. By the end of his 16 years with the program, he was coaching multiple teams each year and assembling an impressive record. In his last five years, his teams advanced to the elimination round seven out of 10 times.
“It became part of who I was as an attorney,” he says. “Eventually, I realized I wanted to make a career out of it.”
When Kitzman learned about the position at Loyola’s renowned Center for Advocacy, he couldn’t pass it up.
“I believed this already well-established, well-respected program could compete to be the very best in the nation,” he says. “I wanted to be part of that.”
“Our students are genuinely excited about spending 10 to 20 hours a week with their teams. Then, as alumni, they’re excited to give back.”
Now, Kitzman is poised to put his expertise to work, collaborating with faculty—especially Center for Advocacy Director Adrienne Mebane—to raise the bar even higher for Loyola’s advocacy programs. Much of that work is likely to focus on technology.
“COVID pushed us all onto Zoom, and I don’t think virtual court environments will ever go away,” Kitzman says. “We need to prepare students to handle motions, arbitrations, depositions, and other parts of trial in a virtual environment.”
AI is also on his mind. “We’re working on building AI into our program—educating students to use it in mock trial and moot court, and also in their practice for things like witness and case prep,” he says.
Just weeks into his tenure, Kitzman identified one reason Loyola’s advocacy program is top tier.
“Our students are genuinely excited about spending 10 to 20 hours a week with their teams. Then, as alumni, they’re excited to give back,” Kitzman says. “You want a program where the students you have today are your team coaches tomorrow and your head coaches 20 years from now. Loyola has that cycle of alumni staying involved. That’s the hallmark of a healthy program.” –Liz Miller (October 2025)
It would be hard to say whether the hired or the hirer felt more fortunate when Michael Kitzman joined the School of Law this fall as associate director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy. Having worked with mock trial teams during most of his 17-year career as a litigator, Kitzman brings a deep understanding of and passion for trial advocacy to Loyola’s highly ranked program.
It was in law school at American University in Washington that Kitzman discovered he wanted to be a trial lawyer. After graduation, he launched a career—eventually establishing his own firm—representing clients in workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, where he felt he could “help people get through a tough part of their life,” he says.
Love of the courtroom and a desire to serve also led Kitzman back to American to volunteer with mock trial teams. He began, he says, “helping out once or twice a semester” to deliver a guest lecture or to play a judge, a witness, or another role at trial. By the end of his 16 years with the program, he was coaching multiple teams each year and assembling an impressive record. In his last five years, his teams advanced to the elimination round seven out of 10 times.
“It became part of who I was as an attorney,” he says. “Eventually, I realized I wanted to make a career out of it.”
When Kitzman learned about the position at Loyola’s renowned Center for Advocacy, he couldn’t pass it up.
“I believed this already well-established, well-respected program could compete to be the very best in the nation,” he says. “I wanted to be part of that.”
Now, Kitzman is poised to put his expertise to work, collaborating with faculty—especially Center for Advocacy Director Adrienne Mebane—to raise the bar even higher for Loyola’s advocacy programs. Much of that work is likely to focus on technology.
“COVID pushed us all onto Zoom, and I don’t think virtual court environments will ever go away,” Kitzman says. “We need to prepare students to handle motions, arbitrations, depositions, and other parts of trial in a virtual environment.”
AI is also on his mind. “We’re working on building AI into our program—educating students to use it in mock trial and moot court, and also in their practice for things like witness and case prep,” he says.
Just weeks into his tenure, Kitzman identified one reason Loyola’s advocacy program is top tier.
“Our students are genuinely excited about spending 10 to 20 hours a week with their teams. Then, as alumni, they’re excited to give back,” Kitzman says. “You want a program where the students you have today are your team coaches tomorrow and your head coaches 20 years from now. Loyola has that cycle of alumni staying involved. That’s the hallmark of a healthy program.” –Liz Miller (October 2025)