Two University of Arkansas Law School Student Groups Compete at Nationals

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Summary: Two groups from the University of Arkansas School of Law will be participating in the national competitions this week.

The University of Arkansas School of Law is sending two groups to national finals this week. The law school’s appellate advocacy team and transactional law team will be competing in their respective national finals, according to a report by the University of Arkansas.

  

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The appellate team of Cat Johns, Clay Sapp, and Jennifer Hosp with visiting assistant professor of law Amanda Hurst and associate professor of Law Danielle Weatherby coaching will attend the American Bar Association Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition in Washington D.C. The competition focuses on the development of oral advocacy skills by putting them in a realistic appellate advocacy experience. The teams participate in a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court, which includes writing a brief as either the petitioner or respondent. They then argue the case in front of a mock court.

The team advanced to the national round after competing in the regional round in New York City, beating 28 other teams. Sapp also won a best advocate award. Another University of Arkansas team also competed at the regional meet. The team of Jessica Guarino, Weston Hinson, and Lacey Johnson made it to the semi-finals before losing.

The U of A team heading to the 2018 Transactional LawMeet Competition in New York City consists of Drew Lawson, Rilee Harrison and Leland “Mac” Ferguson, coached by associate dean for academic affairs and Arkansas Bar Foundation Professor Will Foster. The transactional competition works with each team representing either a buyer or seller in a fictional corporate transaction. This year’s competitors are negotiating the terms of an acquisition of a technology company valued at over $2 billion by a multinational fund.

This is the first year the law school has competed in the competition. The rookie team faced off against nine law schools, including the University of Notre Dame Law School and Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, to make it to the final round.

Do you think the experience students gain from these competitions makes the students more valuable to law firms? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

To learn about teams competing for other law schools, read these articles:

• University of Georgia School of Law Wins South Texas Mock Trial Challenge
• ABA Regional Competition Hosted at University of Arkansas School of Law
• UGA Law Wins Moot Court Competition

Photo: academia.org