Law School Team Advances to Nationals for Second Consecutive Year

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Teams and coaches at NAAC Regional Competition in Las Vagas. Joe Hout (from left), Nathan Finch, Elise Holman, Amanda Hurst, Danielle Weatherby, Cristen Handley, Alex Nguyen, and Caleb Lang

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas School of Law Appellate Advocacy team of Cristen Handley, Elise Holman and Nathan Finch (on brief) has advanced to the national finals in the American Bar Association Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition. The students beat out 30 other teams in the regional competition, and the team's brief ranked in the top 10 among the 34 briefs submitted.

Two teams from the law school, coached by Amanda Hurst, visiting assistant professor of law, and Danielle Weatherby, assistant professor of law, competed in the regional round of the competition Feb 25-27 in Las Vegas. The team of Caleb Lang, Joe Hout and Alex Nguyen (on brief) also advanced out of preliminary rounds.

"I could not be more proud of our student advocates," Weatherby said. "The hard work they've put in together over the past several months paid off with excellent performances during the three-day competition. Three of our advocates even scored perfect 100s for their arguments before the court."

The ABA Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition emphasizes the development of oral advocacy skills through a realistic appellate advocacy experience. Competitors participate in a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The competition involves writing a brief as either respondent or petitioner and then arguing the case in front of the mock court.

"The National Appellate Advocacy Competition draws the best of the best student appellate advocates in the country," Hurst said. "Both of our teams represented the school so well, with all of the students receiving recognition for their knowledge of the record and law, responsiveness and professionalism."

The moot court problem for the 2015-16 competition requires students to analyze a timely criminal topic involving a police shooting of an African-American boy. The issues focus on whether a police officer has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a work locker and whether a police officer's actions, within the course of employment, can constitute a hate crime.

To help the teams prepare, the Board of Advocates and Associated Student Government sponsored an exhibition round at the School of Law prior to the regional tournament. National Appellate Advocacy Competition finals began Thursday, April 7, in Chicago, and will run through Saturday, April 9.