A Culture of Excellence

It started in 1981 with one class of 12 Chicago-Kent College of Law students enrolled in a new elective course titled Trial Advocacy. The course was taught using a new “radical” method of instruction combining traditional lecture, instructor demonstration, student performance, critique, and repetition of performance. From that course, Trial Advocacy took off, becoming the most popular elective at the school. It would also give birth to the Chicago-Kent trial advocacy team.

During the 1981–1982 school year, there was only one team of three students competing in only one competition. Today more than 200 law schools have trial advocacy teams. Chicago-Kent now competes in 10–12 competitions per year, in addition to two national competitions that end in a national championship. The subject matter of these competitions runs the legal gambit—from criminal, torts, contracts, and even legal ethics. Chicago-Kent students have won championships and individual awards for the last 40 years.

Forty years brought four national championships: 1988, 2007, 2008, and 2015. This “world series” of law school competition is sponsored by the American Bar Association, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the Texas Young Lawyers Bar Association. It is a national tournament with more than 200 law schools, 300 trial teams, and 900 student advocates competing across the federal regions. Hundreds of trials later, 24 regional winners meet in a Texas city for the national finals. Our trial teams have been Midwest regional champions 30 times in the last 40 years.

In addition to the national titles that Chicago-Kent teams have won, they have been finalists and semifinalists in more than 100 invitational competitions. Individually, our student advocates have been awarded more than 50 best advocate awards and numerous awards for best opening, closing, direct, and cross examination. Twice in the last 10 years, our team has won the National Ethics Competition. On top of that, we have produced five national best advocates. All five are now proud Chicago-Kent alumni with incredible careers.