Faulkner Law Trial Team Invited to Compete in the 2015 National Top Gun Trial Competition
For the second year in a row, Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law has been invited to participate in Baylor Law School’s Top Gun Mock Trial Competition. The competition will be held June 3-7, 2015 in Waco, Texas.
The Top Gun Trial Competition is unique in two ways. First, invitations to compete are extended only to the top trial advocacy programs based upon their results from the previous advocacy season. Faulkner Law’s trial team earned its invitation to compete in this year’s competition by winning the Buffalo/Niagara Mock Trial Competition, winning the National Trial Competition’s Region VI regional for a second straight year, and finishing as national quarter-finalist in the National Trial Competition. Faulkner Law also finished as finalists in the Lone Star Classic and as quarter-finalists in the South Texas Challenge.
Second, the Top Gun Trial Competition is unique in its format. It is a one-on-one trial competition where the competitors, coaches, and second chairs are given the trial fact pattern only twenty-four hours prior to the competition. While the time-sensitive format increases the stress level of the competitors, hard work is rewarded with a $10,000 prize to the first place advocate.
Elliott Smith will represent Faulkner Law in this year’s competition. Smith won best advocate in the final round at both the Lone Star Classic and the Buffalo/Niagara mock trial competitions. He was also acknowledged as one of the outstanding advocates at the South Texas Challenge.
Faulkner Law is no stranger to success at Top Gun. Last year, advocate Sherri Mazur finished as the national runner-up in the competition. “We are honored to be returning to Top Gun,” said Professor Joe Lester, Director of the Faulkner Law Advocacy Program. “Elliott has some huge boots to fill after our success last year. I know he will represent us well.”
Second-year student Caleb Rush will serve as second chair to Smith, and will be in charge of technology. Lester will coach the team.
For more information about Faulkner Law, please contact Rachel Miller, director of external relations, at 334.386.7495.
