16 of the Nation's Best Student Advocates to Compete for the Title of 'Top Gun' in June

16 of the Nation's Best Student Advocates to Compete for the Title of 'Top Gun' in June

WACO, Texas -

Baylor Law's Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition is the most challenging mock trial competition in the country. The invitation-only tournament pits the best advocates from 16 trial advocacy schools against one another in a head-to-head, winner-take-all contest June 1-5 at Baylor Law.

Unlike traditional mock trial competitions, participants do not get to prepare for the case before the competition begins. The 16 competitors receive the case file a mere 24 hours prior to the opening rounds. Given just one day, participants must review a myriad of documents, focus on the essential facts of the case, and prepare for trial.

The advocates that will compete in the thirteenth annual Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition are:

• American University Washington College of Law - Demitri Dawson
• Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law - Miriam Sheppard
• Chicago-Kent College of Law - Cole Gunter
• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law - Grace Grimes
• Fordham University School of Law - Chehak Gogia
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles - Ameen Hussaini
• Quinnipiac University School of Law - Emily Lanthier
• Samford University Cumberland School of Law - Ghada Abouhaidar
• Stetson University College of Law - Katherine Castaner
• South Texas College of Law Houston - Billy Robinett
• Temple University Beasley School of Law - Aaron Freedman
• UCLA School of Law - Regina Campbell
• University of California Berkeley School of Law - Jenna Forster
• University of Denver Sturm College of Law - Chasen Miller
• University of Georgia School of Law - Haley Kairab
• University of South Carolina School of Law - Molly Sue Harmon

Sponsored by the MG+M The Law Firm, the competition begins in the evening on Wednesday, June 1, with competitors arriving for orientation and a welcome dinner. The following morning, competitors will receive their case files, and the preliminary rounds will be held June 3-4. The semifinal round will take place at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 5.

The final round will begin at 2 p.m. that day and will be streamed live at https://www.baylor.edu/law/live.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ed Nelson, Director of Marketing & Communications
EMAIL: Ed_Nelson@Baylor.edu
PHONE: 254-710-6681

ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor Law was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,600 living alumni. Accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the Association of American Law Schools, Baylor Law has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. Baylor Law boasts among its notable alumni two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court, and members of the Texas Legislature. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as among the best in the nation at No. 2. The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the “Best School for Practical Training” and No. 4 in the nation in its most recent “Best Law School Facilities” listing. Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law School received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since its inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more at baylor.edu