Anderson, Baxter Win 2015 Sutton Barristers' Union Trial Competition

Photo courtesy of School of Law

Right to left: J.R. Baxter, Corey Anderson, Mike Medlock, James D. Bland, James McLarty III, Jacob McElroy and James Omotosho

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On Friday, Oct. 23, Jacob McElroy and James Omotosho faced off against Corey Anderson and J.R. Baxter for the championship round of the William H. Sutton Barrister's Union Trial Competition. The two teams argued for more than two hours in front of three competition judges and a courtroom of observers for the acquittal, or conviction, of a man accused of murder.

The championship was adjudicated by three distinguished University of Arkansas School of Law alumni: The Hon. James D. Bland, the Hon. Mike Medlock and veteran trial attorney James McLarty III.

Bland is an Oklahoma District Judge in the East-Central Judicial Administrative District, Pittsburg and McIntosh Counties, Oklahoma; Medlock is an Arkansas Circuit Court Judge, 21st District, Division 2, Crawford County; and McLarty is a private practice attorney in Newport, Arkansas.

The final round concluded three weeks of competition, which included 37 trials. More than 60 members of the Northwest Arkansas bar volunteered their time to judge the preliminary and elimination rounds, responding to calls for volunteers from the law school's Board of Advocates, the William B. Putman Inns of Court and the Washington, Sebastian and Benton County Bar Associations. 

"We started competition with 22 teams, 44 contestants," said ­­Kael Bowling, competition co-chair and a third year law student. "It was narrowed to 16 teams, and then proceeded, bracket style, to an elite eight, final four and championship round."

The event was co-chaired by Bowling and Nick Mote who are members of the school's Board of Advocates. The competition is one of several presented by the board, a student organization that promotes the development of all law students' practical skills, in both oral and written advocacy, through practice and participation.

 "The teams were great, and the amount of student involvement was really impressive," said Spencer Sims, chair of the Board of Advocates. "In addition to the 44 contestants, we had 37 students who were time keepers and 50-60 witnesses, which means more than one-third of the school's students participated in some way."

The Sutton Trail Competition is held annually and is named for William H. Sutton, a 1959 graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law with a distinguished legal career that spanned more than five decades. This was the first competition held since Sutton's death on July 2, 2015.

About University of Arkansas School of Law: The University of Arkansas School of Law prepares students for success through a challenging curriculum taught by nationally recognized faculty, unique service opportunities and a close-knit community that puts students first. With alumni in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two territories and 20 countries, it has been ranked among the top 10 "Values in Legal Education" by the National Jurist magazine for three consecutive years and is among the top 41 public law schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.

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Kathryn Sampson, associate clinical professor

School of Law

479-575-2928, ksampson@uark.edu