On March 9-11, The John Marshall Law School in Chicago hosted the 28th Annual National Criminal Justice Trial Competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. At this year’s competition, 20 of the best trial advocacy teams in the country prosecuted and defended Morgan Anderson, a hypothetical defendant who was accused of an attempted act of terrorism.
This competition, having received high praise since its inception in 1991, is a highlight of the John Marshall’s Center for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution. More than 100 attorneys and judges, many of whom are John Marshall alumni, evaluated student performances over the three-day competition. The Hon. Jorge Alonso of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois presided over the final round.
The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law won the competition in a hard-fought battle against runner-up American University Washington College of Law. Five law students also received individual awards: Nick Borrego from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law for Best Opening Statement; Joshua Baker from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law for Best Direct Examination; Cassandra Love from Brooklyn Law School for Best Cross Examination; Natasha Moghadam from University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law for Best Closing Argument; and Cat Camic from Northern Illinois University College of Law for Best Overall Advocate.
Teams from the following schools participated: American University Washington College of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Emory University School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, Golden Gate University School of Law, Howard University School of Law, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico Law School, Loyola Chicago University School of Law, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Quinnipiac University School of Law, Rutgers Law School, Stetson University College of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, University of California Berkeley School of Law, University of Denver Sturm College Of Law, University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School and William & Mary Law School.
