South Texas College of Law Houston placed No. 4 in the nation on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2021-22 Competition Champions list, rising two places in the rankings since last year’s inaugural appearance.
Published annually by the ABA’s Law Student Division, the list recognizes law schools that go the extra mile to help prepare their students for practice. The list is compiled using law schools’ performance in four national practice skills competitions – Arbitration, Negotiation, Client Counseling, and the National Appellate Advocacy Competition. This year, more than 1,300 students from 281 law schools virtually participated in one or more of the competitions sponsored by the Law Student Division.
“Our four competitions offer students an amazing opportunity to hone essential lawyering skills before they enter practice,” said Connie S. Smothermon, ABA competitions committee co-chair. “Through consistent participation and success in ABA competitions, these law schools display especially well-rounded practical skills training programs. We are thrilled to recognize these schools through the Competitions Championship.”
STCL Houston Prof. Debra Berman, director of the law school’s Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, said, “These competitions are an integral component of the experiential programming available to students at the law school. Our successful track record is attributable not only to the hard work our students and alumni coaches devote to preparing for the competitions but also to the practical skills students learn simultaneously in classes.” Prof. Berman’s students have brought home 23 national and international championships over the last decade.
Under the guidance of Prof. Rob Galloway, STCL Houston’s vice president, advocacy, South Texas students have claimed five national advocacy championships in the past academic year, bringing the law school’s total to 138 — more than twice as many as any other law school.
This year’s top 10 list was dominated by Texas law schools, with five of the positions going to schools in the Lone Star state.
The 2021-22 top 10 ABA competition law schools by points were:
- University of Houston Law Center, 1st
- Mercer University – Walter F. George School of Law, Tie for 2nd
- SMU – Southern Methodist University – Dedman School of Law, Tie for 2nd
- South Texas College of Law Houston, 4th
- Fordham University School of Law, 5th
- University of California Hastings College of the Law, 6th
- Texas Tech University School of Law, 7th
- Stetson University College of Law, 8th
- Baylor University School of Law, 9th
- Brooklyn Law School, Tie for 10th
- Michigan State University College of Law, Tie for 10th
For more information, contact:
Pamela Gibbs-Smith
Director, Public Relations and Community Engagement
281.832.2178 (c) | 713.646.1799
pgibbs@stcl.edu
