Faulkner University

Faulkner Law Named, Again, as Best Value

For another year, Faulkner Law has been named one of the Best Values in Legal Education by National Jurist and preLaw magazine.  This distinct honor is limited to law schools that graduate students with a bar passage rate above the state average, have an employment rate of over 85%, maintain a low average graduate indebtedness, and tuition costs are below $35,000 per academic year.  We are pleased to report that Faulkner Law is one of only 11 private law schools in the nation to receive this honor. For more information, please click here http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/best-value-law-schools-announced.

ALL STUDENTS PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING GRAD PLUS LOAN DEFERMENTS

Another Advocacy Success for Faulkner

Faulkner Law students won second place in the most prestigious legal writing competition in the country. The Scribes award from the American Society of Legal Writers is given to authors of the best written legal brief submitted in a national moot court competition this past academic year.  Ben Green, Jason Isbell and Clayton Tartt won second with their brief prepared as part of the National Moot Court Competition in which the trio finished as Region VII champions and as national quarter-finalists. Professor Adam MacLeod coached the team. 

There were 70 entries into this competition.  All entries were best briefs at either a regional or national competition.  The briefs were judged by attorneys, judges and professors from across the nation. “I credit Professor MacLeod and his writing exercises with the success of this team” said Professor Joe Lester, Director of Advocacy Programs at the law school. Lester added, “their success came from an understanding that persuasive writing is a function of clarity and substance.”
 
This award caps an advocacy season that saw Faulkner law students win a national title, two regional titles, one national finalist and three national quarter-finalist team awards to go along with ten individual advocacy awards.

Alabama Bar Exam Results
100% Pass Rate for First-Time Takers

Graduates of Thomas Goode Jones School of Law who took the Alabama State Bar Exam for the first time in February 2010  passed at a rate of 100%.  The law school congratulates its alumni on their success!

Faulkner Wins National Moot Court Championship!

Left to right: Bruce Nessler, Ben Green, and Beau Womack

Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law won its first moot court national championship by winning the 23rd Annual August A. Rendigs, Jr., National Products Liability Moot Court Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 10, 2010.  The competition was hosted by the University of Cincinnati’s School of Law in conjunction with the law firm of Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis, LLP.

The Faulkner team consisted of three third-year law students: Ben Green from Athens, Georgia; Bruce Nessler from Clemson, South Carolina and Beau Womack from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  The team advanced through the preliminary rounds over teams from William & Mary, Western New England and Florida Coastal.  The quarter-final and semi-final rounds were held in the Potter Stewart federal courthouse for the 6th circuit.  The Faulkner team defeated South Texas and Baylor in those rounds.  The finals were in the en banc courtroom of the 6th circuit.  Arguing the final round surrounded by State Supreme Court justices from Connecticut, Michigan, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, West Virginia, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Senior Judge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Eugene Siler, the Faulkner team prevailed to win the national title.

The team was coached by Professor Don Garner and Professor Joe Lester.

2010 First-Year Moot Court Competition:

Congratulations to Josh Stapp who narrowly defeated Josh Wilson to win the 2010 First-Year Moot Court Competition. The First-Year Competition caps the year in advocacy as every first-year student participates in this competition through their legal research and writing class. Thirty-two students were selected to compete in elimination rounds April 22 & 23. The octo-finals through the championship round were held at the Alabama Supreme Court. The Championship round was benched by Judge, Joel Dubina, Chief Judge of the 11th Circuit, Retired Alabama Supreme Court Justice Harold See, prominent Montgomery attorneys Joe Espy and Bobby Segall as well as former chairman of the Board of Advocates Stephen Frisby (JSL ’09).

Regional Mediation Champions!

Congratulations to Audrey Dorrough of Newnan, Georgia and Derek Siebert of Sussex, Wisconsin for winning Region VI of the American Bar Association’s Representation in Mediation Competition on March 6.  They went undefeated in the regional competition defeating Tulane in the finals.  The team now heads to San Francisco, California for the National Finals April 7-8.  Congratulations also to Brian Beck and Ashley Penhale, the law school’s other competition team, who finished third in the regional.  Both teams are coached by Professor Ken Dunham.

Moot Court Honors       

Congratulations to Clayton Tartt and Sara Duffy for winning individual advocacy awards on March 6 at the ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition Regional in Washington, D.C.  There were approximately 100 advocates competing in this regional and Mr. Tartt was named the 6th best advocate while Ms. Duffy garnered 8th.  The law school salutes your excellent work!

School of Law Granted Full Approval by the ABA

On December 5, the American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar granted full approval to Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.  This is a momentous achievement in the history of the School of Law.

Dean Nelson states, "This achievement is the result of the hard work of many people who took this as a goal and pursued it.  To all who played such a significant role in our development over the past five years, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks and our congratulations for a job well done.  And, as in all things, to God be the glory."

The School of Law continues to advance and improve on the quality of its legal education program.  There are many more exciting years to come.

Faulkner Wins ABA Regional

Congratulations to Brian Beck, Alicia Coleman, Ashley Penhale and Beau Womack for winning the Miami Regional of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Mock Trial Competition.  The team defeated four teams from Florida on its way to the regional championship.  The team will now travel to Washington, D.C. at the end of January to compete for a national title.  The team is coached by Professor Matt Vega.

Pictured from left to right:  Professor Matt Vega, Ashley Penhale, Beau Womack, Alicia Coleman, and Brian Beck

National Moot Court Regional Champs

The moot court team of Ben Green, Jason Isbell, and Clayton Tartt won Region VII of the 60th Annual National Moot Court Competition.  Arguing in front of distinguished attorneys from all over Alabama including Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, Faulkner won the regional defeating Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Ole Miss among others.  The team received the Best Brief award and Clayton Tartt was named Best Advocate in the final round and preliminary rounds.  The team is coached by Professor Adam MacLeod.

Faulkner will compete in the national rounds in February which will be held in New York City.  The law school congratulates these students on this outstanding achievement.

Pictured from left to right:  Clayton Tartt, Jason Isbell, Professor Adam MacLeod, and Ben Green

Health Law Moot Court

The moot court team of Lindzy Mehan and Kim Waldrop traveled to Southern Illinois University to compete in the National Health Law Moot Court Competition.  The team performed admirably and Kim Waldrop was named Best Advocate in the preliminary rounds.  The team was coached by Professor Jeffrey Hammond.

The law school commends their hard work.  Congratulations!

Faulkner Trial Team Finishes as National Finalist at Lone Star Classic

The trial team of Beau Womack, Bruce Nessler, Alison Douillard, and Audrey Dorrough won second place at the 2009 Lone Star Classic National Mock Trial Invitational.  The team swept through the competition defeating teams from Michigan State, Brooklyn, LSU, and Villanova on their way to the championship round.  The Lone Star Classic is hosted by St. Mary's law school and the final round is available on their website here.

Not only did the team as a whole receive honors, team members received individual awards as well.  Bruce Nessler was named best advocate in the championship round, Beau Womack was named the best advocate in the preliminary rounds, and Alison Douillard won the award for best opening statement.  "It is a rare feat to have three advocates from the same team win individual awards," said Professor and Advocacy Director Joe Lester.  "We continue to succeed on a national level in advocacy and that is a reflection of the quality of our law students."

The law school congratulates the Lone Star trial team on another excellent result.

Pictured from left to right:  Alison Douillard, Beau Womack, Bruce Nessler, and Audrey Dorrough

The Princeton Review Recognizes Law School

For the third consecutive year, The Princeton Review has included Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in its "Best Law Schools" edition.  More

Bring-a-Bear Campaign

The Student Bar Association's Public Service Committee has initiated the 2nd Annual Bring-a-Bear Campaign.  The stuffed animals are given to young children by police officers when responding to calls, often involving situations of domestic violence or automobile accidents.  Giving stuffed animals is an effective way to calm children during stressful events and is an excellent practice by law enforcement.

The Fred Gray, Sr. Civil Rights Symposium

On October 21, the School of Law hosted the 5th Annual Fred Gray, Sr. Civil Rights Symposium.  The topic of the Symposium was "The Obama-Effect on the Legal Profession" and the event was sponsored by the Black Law Students Association, the American Constitution Society, and the Faulkner Law Review.

The Symposium covered four areas of the legal profession:  the Bench, Public Office, the Legal Academy, and Private Practice.  Seventeen distinguished panelists participated including the Honorable Myron H. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the Honorable John H. England of the 6th Judicial Circuit, the Honorable Charles Price of the 15th Judicial Circuit, Representative Christopher England of the Alabama House of Representatives, and Solomon Seay who is a legendary civil rights attorney and activist.

2009 J. Greg Allen Mock Trial Competition

On August 21-27, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law hosted the 6th Annual J. Greg Allen Intra-School Mock Trial Competition.  Congratulations are extended to Ben Green and Bruce Nessler for finishing as 2009 Champions.  Brian Beck and Laura Eubank were tournament finalists and Beau Womack was named the Best Advocate for accumulating the highest individual scores during the competition.  Circuit Judge Patricia Warner served as the presiding judge during the final round with many other distinguished attorneys serving as scoring judges including Mr. Greg Allen.

Twelve teams comprising of 24 student advocates competed in the event.  Over thirty students served as witnesses to the twelve teams.  75 attorneys, judges, and professors assisted with the preliminary rounds and advanced rounds.

The School of Law recognizes the hard work of the Board of Advocates for organizing the event.  The Greg Allen tournament kicks off the Advocacy Program's competition season.  Students in their second and third year will compete in numerous inter-school appellate advocacy, mediation, and trial advocacy tournaments in 2009-10.

Pictured from left to right:  Ben Green, Judge Patricia Warner, and Bruce Nessler

Beau Womack & Mr. Greg Allen

Best Value Law School

The National Jurist magazine has ranked Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law as one of its Best Value Law Schools.  The ranking is based on tuition rate, employment rate, and bar passage rate.  It is noted that law schools in this ranking "are able to prepare their students incredibly well for today's competitive job market."

The Class of 2012

Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law welcomes the Class of 2012!  The class is comprised of 150 students from 22 states.  The states represented are:  Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.  There are 76 colleges and universities represented and out-of-state students make up 50% of the entering class.