Baylor Law’s Interscholastic Moot Court Program Again Shines Bright as #1 in the Nation

WACO, Texas -

Baylor Law has once again seized the coveted title of the nation’s top moot court team in the University of Houston Law Center’s Blakely Advocacy Institute Moot Court Program Ranking. This marks Baylor Law’s second time at the top of the ranking, having previously claimed the top spot in 2019. Baylor Law has consistently ranked in the top 20 of the Blakely Rankings since 2015.

Every year, the Blakely Advocacy Institute evaluates moot court competition teams from across the country, employing a scoring system that methodically scrutinizes the quality and significance of moot court competitions and the overall performance of the participating schools. This rigorous assessment, unparalleled in its thoroughness, ultimately determines the rankings of the nation’s top teams. The top 16 schools are then invited to participate in the Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship sponsored by the Blakely Advocacy Institute, which Baylor Law won in 2022.

Baylor Law’s moot court teams showcased their mettle in an impressive lineup of 25 interscholastic competitions throughout the 2022-2023 season. They emerged as champions at 6 of these competitions, including winning a National Championship at the ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Additionally, Baylor teams were finalists, semi-finalists, quarter-finalists, or recipients of “Best Brief” or “Best Speaker” at 16 of these highly-contested events, including finishing as finalists in the 2023 Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship.

Baylor Law’s Dean Brad Toben expressed his pride in the outstanding achievements of this year’s competitive teams and their exceptional coaches, stating, “We are immensely proud of the hard work put in by our appellate advocacy teams and their coaches. This top ranking is a testament to the collective effort and not just that of one team or coach. Achieving success in 16 out of 25 competitions is a remarkable feat and testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the program.”

The top 16 moot court programs in the country for 2023, according to the Blakely Advocacy Institute, are:

1. Baylor Law
2. University of California College of the Law - SF
3. University of Miami School of Law
4. St. Mary’s University School of Law
5. South Texas College of Law Houston
6. William and Mary University Law School
7. George Washington University School of Law
8. NYU Law School
9. Regent University School of Law
10. (Tie) Texas Tech University School of Law
    (Tie) University of Kansas School of Law
11. Loyola University Chicago School of Law
12. University of Georgia School of Law
13. McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
14. Chicago-Kent College of Law
15. Michigan State University School of Law

Moot court competitions are an activity that simulate appellate court proceedings. These competitions allow students to translate their classroom knowledge into practical courtroom and written advocacy skills. Participants refine their ability to construct compelling legal arguments by engaging in intensive research and writing exercises. Moreover, these competitions foster an invaluable environment for students to master the art of persuasive advocacy and practice arguing both sides of a case before a panel of lawyers and judges.

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