April 7, 2008—South Texas College of Law earns unprecedented distinction this week as students celebrate the college’s 100th national Advocacy competition title. South Texas is the first American law school to reach this milestone. The mock trial and moot court program at South Texas captured its first national title in 1980. “We don’t intend to stop at 100 wins,” says Advocacy Director and Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece. “We started this series of wins 27 years ago and we’re still in stride.” The team of Stephanie Howell, Jessica Sykora, and Kristen Welsh won the 21st Annual August A. Rendigs, Jr. National Products Liability Moot Court Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advocacy competition simulates real courtroom experience with a panel of judges hearing appellate arguments or a trial. “The educational value of competition is that it teaches students to express themselves orally and in writing (with written briefs),” says Treece. “The successful South Texas style is to help the student find within themselves their unique ability to persuade others on matters of importance. It’s conversational, and replaces formality with sincerity and oratory with logic.”

South Texas Advocates have won the products liability competition the past three years—in 2007 our teams faced each other in the final round for first and second place. This year 24 schools were represented at the tournament where the issue centered around injuries stemming from chemicals in microwaved popcorn. In addition to first place, the team’s written brief was named the best petitioners brief of the competition.

South Texas students have earned dozens of brief writing awards in competition, including 10 national Scribes awards since 1999. The Advocacy program has garnered 13 wins at the American Bar Association Appellate Advocacy Competition, three wins at the Association of the Bar National Moot Court Competition in New York, and three times won the American Trial Lawyers Association Student Trial Advocacy Competition. The teams have travelled to nearly 20 states to compete, dominating moot court tournaments with 92 national wins and bringing home eight national mock trial titles.

“We are very proud of all of our students who have contributed to this highly successful advocacy program over the past three decades,” says South Texas President and Dean James J. Alfini. The U.S. News and World Report’s national ranking of law schools has included South Texas College of Law in the top 10 every year in the specialty of teaching trial advocacy skills. “By participating in advocacy competitions, our students have demonstrated excellence in both oral and written communication skills, which are always identified as being of paramount importance in preparing for the practice of law,” says Alfini.

The Advocacy teams are coached by Treece, faculty members, and hundreds of graduates who competed for the college while students. “We continue to instill the same successful principles in every new group that comes through,” says Treece. “We are very good, and we do it consistently—it’s the spirit of South Texas College of Law.”