The Academy of the Advocate
July 26 – August 9, 2026
The 2026 Academy of the Advocate begins July 26, 2026, with an afternoon orientation and first class in Scotland. However, the first class session is a mandatory online pre-departure orientation session, which will be held a few weeks prior to the start of the Academy. The date and time of this session will be released at a later date.
Students registered for the Academy will be sent information about how to access the mandatory online pre-departure orientation session. Regular classes continue through August 9, 2026. Grades are based on students’ participation in discussion and performance on graded advocacy exercises, including a “Final Argument” for the School of the Appeal students and a “Final Trial” for the students participating in the School of the Trial and the Advanced School of the Trial. All “finals” will take place on the last day of the program.
The Baylor Law Academy of the Advocate at St Andrews has been approved by the American Bar Association Accreditation Committee.
Welcome to the Academy of the Advocate at St Andrews, one of the finest training grounds for aspiring courtroom advocates in the world.
Situated near the birthplace of English Common Law in historic St Andrews, Scotland, the Academy is a result of a unique partnership between Baylor University (founded in 1845), the oldest continually operating university in Texas, and the University of St Andrews (founded in 1413), the third oldest university in the English-speaking world. Here, students step into an immersive, two-week trial and appellate advocacy experience led by some of the finest civil trial lawyers, criminal prosecutors, sitting judges, and renowned advocacy professors in America—an experience that will see them emerge with knowledge and skills they will call on for the rest of their lives.
The program is organized into three schools: the School of Appeal, the School of the Trial, and the Advanced School of the Trial. Following enrollment, students select a school and complete the course of study in a two-week session. Upon completion of any school, they receive three semesters (or five quarters) of credit. Students who participate in the program can return with time to complete a clerkship, internship, or externship in the fall.
Attracting students from all over the country, The Academy of the Advocate is held in the striking setting of St Andrews, where the art and craft of advocacy unfolds amidst the rich history of British Common Law. The enduring traditions of trial by jury. The right to appeal. Nowhere do those traditions come to life more colorfully and dramatically than in St Andrews.
To learn more about St Andrews’ history, please visit www.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/
The Baylor Law School Academy of the Advocate at St Andrews has been approved by the American Bar Association Accreditation Committee.
