Nicholas Lewis of the University of Georgia School of Law Prevails as Winner of Top Gun XIV, Baylor Law’s Intense Mock Trial Showdown

The Winning Team from the University of Georgia School of Law, Following the Winner Announcement of Top Gun XIV.

WACO -

Nicholas Lewis of the University of Georgia School of Law has emerged victorious as the winner of Top Gun XIV, Baylor Law’s highly acclaimed National Mock Trial Competition. Through an awe-inspiring three-hour final round, Nicholas skillfully persuaded a distinguished panel of experienced trial lawyers, edging out his formidable opponents, finalists Clarke Doig of Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and Ameen Hussaini of LMU Loyola Law School. Nicholas earns the well-deserved accolade of ‘Top Gun’ and walks away with the grand prize of $10,000, generously provided by MG+M The Law Firm. This is the second year in a row that a student from the University of Georgia has been named Top Gun. UGA student Haley Kairab took home the top honors in last year’s competition focused on digital assets, cryptocurrency, and NFTs.

This year’s case involved a tree that fell on a spectator at Waco National Golf Club during the annual ‘Legends’ golf tournament. The falling tree struck the Plaintiff, who was a spectator paralyzed due to the accident. Another company called Sterling Family Nursery had recently planted that tree at the Waco National Golf Club.

Winner of the Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition, Nicholas Lewis, makes a point before the jury during Top Gun XIV.

During the first day of the tournament, the case involved a lawsuit brought by the Plaintiff only against Waco National Golf Club for negligence, and the Defendant golf club alleged that Plaintiff was contributorily negligent and responsible for their own injuries. During the second day of the tournament, Sterling Family Nursery was added as a responsible third party, and the Defendant golf club was allowed to argue that it was the conduct of Sterling Family Nursery that caused Plaintiff’s injuries. Then, for the semifinal and final rounds, the case was changed to a three-party case, where Plaintiff sued both Waco National Golf Club and Sterling Family Nursery.

For years, Baylor Law has taken great pride in establishing Top Gun as the nation’s most rigorous mock trial competition, and this year’s surprise twist for elimination rounds – turning the case into a three-party case and advancing six teams instead of the usual four to semifinals - elevated the intensity.

“I graduated from law school last weekend, so this is the ultimate summit I could have had apart from graduating from law school. And it is a massive honor,” stated the 2023 Top Gun Nicholas Lewis upon hearing the judges’ decision. “The most challenging thing is sitting down in your hotel room at two o’clock in the morning and knowing that you have an opening, a closing, two crosses, and two directs to do in the morning. And not really knowing what you’re going to do yet, but knowing that you’ve read something and that you could maybe come up with something on the fly. It’s a big challenge, but it’s a fun challenge.” He added.

Top Gun stands apart from other interscholastic mock trial competitions due to its unique format. Participants are not granted the luxury of prepping for or familiarizing themselves with the case in advance. Upon arrival, competitors are presented with the case file and have just 24 hours to prepare before the competition rounds begin. This year’s case file comprised an extensive collection of exhibits, witness statements, depositions, statutes, caselaw, and other court documents, amounting to hundreds of pages. Baylor Law students, professors, and esteemed alumni selflessly volunteer as witnesses, adding another layer of challenge as participants must efficiently prepare them for each round within a limited timeframe.

”These are some of the best programs from around the country, and they all come to Baylor to cap off the year and find out who the real ‘Top Gun’ for this season is,” noted Robert Little, Baylor Law’s Director of Advocacy Programs. “So, the level of competition is off the charts, and these rounds are some of the closest and most hotly contested of the entire mock trial season.”

Bill Shultz, partner with MG+M The Law Firm, presents the 2023 Top Gun, Nicholas Lewis of the University of Georgia School of Law, the top prize of $10,000.

Top Gun XIV received generous sponsorship from MG+M The Law Firm, a prominent national litigation and trial-focused firm comprising a formidable team of over 140 experienced attorneys across 14 offices. Several representatives from MG+M The Law Firm were on-site during the competition, witnessing the exceptional advocacy skills displayed by this year’s talented pool of competitors. Representatives from MG+M also offered a Professional Development Program on Diversity, Equity, Including, and Belonging to Baylor Law students on Thursday, June 1st.

“We were honored to have MG+M as a sponsor again this year,” said Little. “MG+M’s unwavering commitment to trying cases across the United States aligns perfectly with the essence of Top Gun, which serves as a platform to showcase the unparalleled talents of the finest student trial lawyers in the nation.”

During the final round, the Honorable Judge J. Rodney Gilstrap, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, served as the presiding judge. Serving on the jury as competition judges for the final round were John Adams of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Dallas, Sara Hollan Chelette (JD ’04) of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann in Dallas, Tom Jacob (JD ’09) of National Trial Law in Austin, J. Mark Mann (JD, ’81), of Mann Tindel Thompson in Henderson, TX, Jordan Mayfield (JD ’02), of Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLC in Waco, and Gerald Powell (JD ’77), Abner V. McCall Professor of Evidence, Emeritus.

Competitors in Top Gun XIV were:

Semifinalists in Top Gun XIV were:

Elise Driskill of Samford University Cumberland School of Law won the Professionalism Award, a designation selected by her fellow competitors.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ed Nelson, Director of Marketing & Communications
EMAIL: Ed_Nelson@Baylor.edu
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ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor University School of Law was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the Association of American Law Schools, Baylor Law has more than 7,800 living alumni and a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School 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. U.S. News & World Report ranks Baylor Law in the Top 50 law schools in the nation, and its trial advocacy program among the best in the nation at No. 3. The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the “Best School for Practical Training,” and in the top 15 “Best Law School Facilities” in the country. Baylor Law 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 the award’s 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

• Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law - Sydney Kraft
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law - Andrew Thompson
• Chicago-Kent College of Law - Razaul Haque
• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law - Clarke Doig
• Fordham University School of Law - Jacqueline Hayes
• Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law - Alexandra Laird
• Howard University School of Law - Yvette Lopez
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles - Ameen Hussaini
• Mercer University School of Law - Isiah Chavis
• Samford University Cumberland School of Law - Elise Driskill
• South Texas College of Law Houston - Elleana Poulis
• Stetson University College of Law - Cami DiGiacomo
• Temple University Beasley School of Law - Chris Moore
• UCLA School of Law - Regina Campbell
• University of Georgia School of Law - Nicholas Lewis
• University of Houston Law Center - Karina Sanchez
  • Clark Doig, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
  • Razaul Haque, Chicago-Kent College of Law
  • Ameen Hussaini, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
  • Nicholas Lewis, University of Georgia School of Law
  • Elleana Poulis, South Texas College of Law
  • Karina Sanchez, University of Houston Law Center