3L Rebecca Bradley won Best Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds at the National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare and Adoption Law in Columbus, Ohio, on March 13–15. Her partner, 3L Robert Koehl, received the 7th place advocate award. The team finished the competition as semi-finalists. Also on the team was brief writer 3L Jessica Juarez. The team was coached by Melinda Westmoreland Nag (J.D. ’06).
Twenty-six teams competed from around the country at this competition, where the rounds took place in the Ohio Capital building and the Ohio Supreme Court. According to Jennifer Ellis, Director of Advocacy Programs, “This was the first time Texas A&M competed in this competition, and we are thrilled to do so well in our first attempt.”
At the national finals of the ABA Client Counseling Competition in Durham, North Carolina, on March 13-14, the TAMU Law team of 2L Lynne Nash and 3L Christian Holden finished as national semi-finalists. They advanced to the national finals last month after winning the regional rounds, as did top finishers from the eleven other regions. This team was coached by Professor Kay Elliott.
The Fort Worth law school has advanced to the national finals of this competition for four consecutive years, which is a huge accomplishment since only the regional champion from each region is invited to the national finals. According to Ellis, “Our repeated regional championships and strong placements at the national level demonstrate our consistency and the talent of our students and coaches.”
Learn more about the Advocacy Program:
The Advocacy Program at Texas A&M School of Law is a key component of making Aggie law students practice-ready. Directed by Jennifer Ellis, the Advocacy Program consists of three disciplines: appellate advocacy (moot court), trial advocacy (mock trial) and dispute resolution (mediation, negotiation and client counseling).
The Texas A&M Law Moot Court, Mock Trial and Alternative Dispute Resolution teams are nationally recognized. Since the law school’s inception, the program has received 3 international, 11 national, 19 regional and one state championship, 14 best advocate and 13 best brief awards.