Kingrey Sullens and Kelton Munch Win Baylor Law's 2023 Faegre Drinker Spring Moot Court Competition

March 22, 2023

Finalist of the Summer 2022 Mad Dog Mock Trial Competition, Lexie Ammons, Converses with the Presiding Judge During the Final Round

Finalists in Baylor Law School's annual intraschool Faegre Drinker Spring Moot Court Competition demonstrated their appellate advocacy skills before a distinguished panel of judges and a large audience on Monday, March 20, 2023. When the judges returned their decision, the team of Kingrey Sullens and Kelton Munch narrowly edged out the team of O'quilla Jones and Rachel Brooks to take the championship spot. The teams of Asna Poonawalla & Antonio Pana and Kamryn Dow & Melanie Green were Semi-finalists.

The competition got underway in early February with 42 teams of students in the Legal Analysis, Research, and Communications (LARC) 3: Persuasive Communication class. After the fourth round in early March, the top 16 teams advanced to compete in a bracket-style, single-elimination tournament. The competition's final round was held on Monday evening, March 20, and was judged by a panel of practicing attorneys and previous winners of Baylor Law's internal moot court competitions. Chief Justice of the final round was Jude Hickland, JD '08, Partner with Faegre Drinker in Dallas.

The top ten speakers, as well as the members of the top 16 teams, have been named as Barristers of the Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society, an honorific title at Baylor Law given to those who stand out for their advocacy skills.

The Top Three Speakers Were:

First - Walker Montjoy
Second - Asna Poonawalla
Third - Garrett Welch

Also receiving recognition for their oral advocacy during the competition were DeJa Bryson, Camille Callaway, Paul Gunderson, Brendan Fowler, Kelton Munch, Alexis Pineda, and Anderson Tittle.

The Final Round Judges were

Jude Hickland, JD '08, (Chief Justice), Faegre Drinker
David Kent, JD ’78, Faegre Drinker
Neil Rambin, JD ’78, Faegre Drinker
Jessica Underwood, JD ‘14, Nix Patterson, LLP
Jennifer S. Richards, JD '11, Richards Law PLLC
Maria Zermeno, Winner of the Fall 2022 Competition
Catherine McKinney, Winner of the Fall 2022 Competition

Baylor Law's Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society organizes and administers the yearly competition. The Society's officers for this year's competition were Stone Martin, President; Dani Hayes, Vice-President; and Emily Mouser and Duncan Robinson, Barrister Officers. Faculty Advisor, Legal Writing Professor Mike Berry, stated that each contender should feel proud of their accomplishments this year. "It was great fun to see how well all the competitors progressed in their advocacy skills during the course of the competition. The teams in the final round responded exceptionally well to the challenging questions posed by our esteemed panel of judges."

Baylor Law appreciates Faegre Drinker's continued support of our advocacy program, especially our challenging spring intramural moot court competition.

Final Round Judges of the 2023 Faegre Drinker Spring Moot Court Competition (L-R) Maria Zermeno, Catherine McKinney, Jude Hickland, David Kent, Jessica Underwood, Jennifer Richards, and Neil Rambin

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Established in 1857, Baylor University School of Law is the oldest law school in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. With one of the lowest student-faculty ratios in the country, Baylor Law has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. Today the school has more than 7,800 living alumni and is proud alma mater to 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 ranks Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program #2 in the nation. The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the "Best Schools for Practical Training," and one of the "Best Law School Facilities.” Committed to service, Baylor Law students consistently maintain one of the highest Pro Bono, public service, and community volunteerism rates in the nation and Baylor Law has received the prestigious Pro Bono Publico Award from the American Bar Association. Learn more at baylor.edu/law

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