Professor Gerald Powell Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy Teaching Excellence
Professor Gerald Powell Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy Teaching Excellence
Professor of Law Emeritus Gerald Powell,
Stetson University College of Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy has honored Professor of Law Emeritus Gerald Powell with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contributions to teaching advocacy. The prestigious recognition was awarded during the “Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills” Conference in June. The award serves as a testament to Professor Powell’s unwavering commitment to the field of advocacy and his legacy of teaching in Baylor Law’s Practice Court program for thirty-five years.
“Jerry Powell has painted a masterpiece in advocacy education and training during his long tenure in our iconic Practice Court Program,” said Dean Brad Toben. “Jerry has regarded his place in the program as a special place of privilege in that he has been privileged to teach and develop generations of trial lawyers and defenders of our jury system,” Dean Toben said. “In all he has done, he always put the experience of the students first and foremost – whether our own Baylor Law students or students from the many schools who come to our St Andrews Academy of the Advocate.”
Jerry's singular focus on his students and his sharing of his estimable gifts and skills in trial advocacy have made him a demonstrable and exceptionally worthy recipient of this honor.”
–Dean Brad Toben
“During his acceptance speech, Jerry talked about how his achievements weren’t winning mock trial competitions or championships; his accomplishments were seeing former students become great trial lawyers,” noted Director of Baylor Law’s Advocacy Programs Robert Little. “Jerry’s achievements can be seen in courtrooms around the State of Texas every day when you see generations of Baylor Lawyers trying cases and representing clients the way Professor Powell taught them to. This award honors that legacy and those achievements.”
In 2005 Powell received Baylor University’s coveted Master Teacher designation-- the highest honor granted to Baylor faculty members. In 2020, Powell was honored with the Outstanding Mentor Award by both the Waco-McLennan County Young Lawyers Association and the Texas Young Lawyers Association. He was selected by the Baylor Law Alumni Association Executive Committee as the 2021 Baylor Lawyer of the Year.
In addition to his commitment to teaching advocacy, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Powell’s expertise in evidence and trial advocacy through extensive written works and speaking engagements. His valuable contributions include co-authoring two influential books on Texas evidence: “A Practical Guide to the Texas Rules of Civil Evidence” and “Texas Rules of Civil Evidence with Objections.”
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