The LSU Law Center’s Advocacy Programs have been ranked No. 11 in the nation in the Blakely Advocacy Institute’s ranking of moot court programs for 2018-19. This continues the Law Center’s upward climb in the rankings. LSU Law was ranked No. 25 last year, outside of the top 50 in 2016-17, and No. 35 in 2015-16.
The ranking system looks at law schools’ success in the dozens of appellate advocacy (“moot court”) competitions held across the United States each year.
“This ranking is the result of a banner year for our moot court teams, but it doesn’t take into account the success of our trial, dispute resolution, and transactional external teams – across all forms of competition we have enjoyed a truly stunning level of success this year,” said professor Jeff Brooks, Preis PLC Director of Advocacy & Professional Practice and director of LSU Law’s Field Placements Program.
The Advocacy Program’s accolades this year include:
- The Lefkowitz Trademark Law Moot Court Team won a national championship, as well as being named National Best Oralists, winning second place Best Brief nationally, and sweeping First Place, Best Brief, and Best Oralists at their regional rounds!
- The Costello National Criminal Trial Team won a national champsionship
- The John R. Brown National Admiralty Law Moot Court “Gold” Team took second place nationally, the “Purple” team placed as national semifinalists, and LSU Law was named Most Outstanding Law School at this year’s Admiralty Moot.
- The National Environmental Law Moot Court Team tied for second place nationally out of more than 60 participating teams.
- The National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Team were national semifinalists.
- The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Team were North American semifinalists.
- The ABA Negotiation Team placed in the top 20 teams out of more than 200 in the U.S. at the national championships.
- The Tom Fore Phillips National Moot Court Team won first place Best Brief and placed as Regional Semifinalists.
- The Moran-Thrash ABA National Appellate Advocacy Team placed as regional semifinalists.
- The ABA Client Counseling “Purple” Team placed as regional finalists and the “Gold” Team placed as regional semifinalists.
- The National Sports Law Negotiation Team tied for fifth place out of the more than 30 teams competing this year. (This was LSU Law’s first time participating in this competition!)
- The 2017-18 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court team placed as International Semifinalists in Germany in Fall 2018.
- The 2017-18 Admiralty Moot Court Team took third place in the Scribes National Brief-Writing Awards.
“This year’s extraordinary success was the result of hard work by our students, our team coaches, and by Advocacy Fellow Annie Scardulla. We look forward to another successful year next year,” Brooks said.
