The John Marshall Law School in Chicago hosted the 27th National Criminal Justice Advocacy Competition March 16-18. John Marshall co-sponsored the competition with the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association.
The event featured competitors from twenty different law schools across the country and Puerto Rico. The competition received high praise and is a highlight among the John Marshall Center for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution’s many events and programs.
More than 100 attorneys and judges, many of whom are John Marshall alumni, evaluated student performances over the three-day competition. U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Alonso of the Northern District of Illinois presided over the final round, while Matthew Redle, Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and elected Prosecuting Attorney for Sheridan County, Wyoming was among the members of the championship-round jury.
During the competition, teams prosecuted and defended Sasha Daniels, a high school teacher accused of molesting a student.
University of Florida Levin College of Law won the competition in a hard-fought battle against runner-up Fordham University School of Law. Five law students also received individual awards: Danny Quinn from St. John’s University School of Law for Best Opening Statement; Allison Prout from William & Mary Law School for Best Direct Examination; Cassandra Love from Brooklyn Law School for Best Cross Examination and Best Overall Advocate; and Troy Jackson from Howard University School of Law for Best Closing Argument.
Teams from the following schools participated:
American University Washington College of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Fordham University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center , Golden Gate University School of Law, Howard University School of Law, Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Pace University School of Law, St. John’s University School of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law, University of Alabama School of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law, University of Michigan Law School, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, University of South Dakota School of Law and William & Mary Law School.
John Marshall’s trial advocacy program was recently ranked 13th in the nation in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.
