The development of practical, real-world litigation skills in a courtroom setting is a crucial element of the St. Mary's experience. This belief is affirmed every day through the actions and accomplishments of our highly respected advocacy programs. These programs provide an ideal environment for students to develop and polish the trial and appellate courtroom skills that are the hallmark of great attorneys.

The St. Mary's advocacy programs are consistently recognized for competitive excellence on regional and national levels.

Advocacy at St. Mary's is comprised of three primary programs that allow students both academic and competitive opportunities to hone their skills prior to graduation. Each of these three programs take advantage of the facilities available through the new technology courtroom:

• Advocacy Curriculum
• Board of Advocates
• External Advocacy Program

Technology in the Courtroom

In 2006, St. Mary's University School of Law opened its newly renovated "high-tech" courtroom. The courtroom - one of the most technologically advanced courtrooms in the country - was updated with a modular design that allows for multiple configurations. It may be adjusted to accommodate jury trials or appellate court arguments. View and listen to Professor David A. Schlueter explain the use of technology at St. Mary's University School of Law Advocacy Program. Please click on the link below:
The Courtroom Technology Video

The courtroom features six cameras to record proceedings with the capability to output multiple camera angles to DVD, VHS, or webcast streaming. Thanks to a $300,000 donation from the AT&T Foundation, proceedings can be webcast and remote testimony can be video conferenced into the courtroom.

Electronic evidence can be fed into the courtroom presentation system from laptops, document cameras, DVDs or digital whiteboards. Evidence is presented on a large projection display, an in-wall plasma display, and to flatscreen monitors at the bench, tables and in the jury box. The video is fully routable for display on select sources, all sources, or none through an interactive touchscreen system. Studio-quality lighting is also fully computer controlled.

Current St. Mary's University School of Law students may access instructional Courtroom technology Video and PDF quick reference guide materials for the Trial Advocacy course by clicking on the following link: Intro to How to Use Courtroom Technology

Curriculum

The goal of the St. Mary's advocacy program is to prepare students to be effective advocates in courtroom settings. Classes focus on litigation skills that enable students to speak persuasively and build credibility with the court and jury. When students decide to come to St. Mary's, they know they will have many opportunities to excel in advocacy.

Trial Advocacy

Trial Advocacy classes are designed to give students an introduction to specific trial advocacy techniques such as voir dire examination of jury panels, opening statements, and direct examination of witnesses. The techniques are demonstrated by instructors and students are given opportunities to perform, and receive instruction concerning, exercises in many aspects of civil and criminal cases.

Current St. Mary's University School of Law students may access instructional webcast catalog materials for the Trial Advocacy course by clicking on the following links (login id and password required):

• State vs. Moss - Pretrial
• State vs. Moss - Opening Statement - Prosecution
• State vs. Moss - Opening Statement - Defense
• State vs. Moss - Prosecution Case
• State vs. Moss - Defense Case
• State vs. Moss - Closing Argument - Prosecution
• State vs. Moss - Closing Argument - Defense
• State vs. Moss - Rebuttal Prosecution
• Introducing a Document
• Using a Smartboard

Advanced Trial Advocacy

The advanced course builds upon Trial Advocacy and introduces students to additional techniques for presenting cases before a court using technology. This course addresses both the details of utilizing technology in the courtoom, as well as a strategic and evidentiary concerns surrounding the use of technology. Students are given extensive exposure to the latest advances in St. Mary's new high-tech courtroom.

Current St. Mary's University School of Law students may access instructional Courtroom technology Video and PDF quick reference guide materials for the Trial Advocacy course by clicking on the following link: Intro to How to Use Courtroom Technology

Board of Advocates

The Board of Advocates (BOA) administers competitions throughout the academic year in order to give students of St. Mary’s University School of Law practical experience in the art of advocacy. The BOA consists of 20 law students who are responsible for the development and organization of all in-house advocacy competitions. Selection into BOA is made at the end of each spring semester.



First-year law students may only compete in First Year Moot Court and Jimmy Derek Moot Court. Second- and third-year law students may compete in all competitions except First Year Moot Court. All law students may volunteer as clients, witnesses, bailiffs and marshals in any competition.

Board of Advocates is proud to conduct the following events for academic year 2012-2013:

Larry G. Hyden Mock Trial Competition

Sept. 10-21, 2012
Held each September, the Larry G. Hyden Competition provides students with an opportunity to participate in Mock Trial proceedings. Larry Hyden was a member of St. Mary's Law Journal and graduated from St. Mary's School of Law in 1974.

The fall 2012 competition was won by Travis Baskin and Brandon Strey. David Rodriguez and Leslie Vasquez were finalists; the final teams won $750 and $250, respectively. The competition is sponsored by Jordan Hyden, Womble, Culbreth & Holzer, P.C. View final round

Lone Star Classic ^®

Oct. 11-13, 2012
Each October, BOA is proud to support this mock trial competition where St. Mary’s University School of Law invites 16 ABA-accredited schools from around the country to compete on a nationwide stage

Wayne and Maxine Scott Negotiations Competition

Nov. 5-9, 2012
Held in November, the Wayne and Maxine Scott Competition provides students with experience in negotiations. Professor L. Wayne Scott played a critical role in directing the alternate dispute resolution program at St. Mary’s University. Allen Craddock, Ph.D., Adjunct Negotiations Professor, established this endowed competition to honor the Scotts for their tireless support of the school’s advocacy program. This year’s award was donated by St. Mary’s Law Alumni Association. View final round

Federal Bar Association Spring Moot Court Competition

Jan. 31 - Feb. 1, 2013
In order to promote high quality education and experience for legal students, the San Antonio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association sponsors this BOA appellate-style competition early each spring.

Renna and Jeff Embry Mock Trial Competition

Feb. 19-27, 2013
The Renna and Jeff Embry Mock Trial Competition provides students with another opportunity to participate in mock trial during the spring semester. Renna and Jeff are honors graduates and both served as Associate Editors on the St. Mary's Law Journal; Jeff was an active participant in mock trial and moot court competitions and was awarded the Patricia Scott Outstanding Advocate Award recognizing him as the outstanding trial advocate in the law school.

Linda and Dave Schlueter First Year Moot Court Competition

March 18-25, 2013
All students at St. Mary's are required to participate in a moot court competition in their first spring semester. This competition is the culmination of a brief-writing process and is a part of the legal writing classes. This early exposure allows students an advocacy-oriented perspective that enhances the traditional 1L coursework.

Professor Dave Schlueter is the Hardy Professor of Law and Director of the Advocacy Programs at St. Mary's University School of Law. Mrs. Schlueter is the President of Trinity Legal Center, a non-profit legal foundation, which focuses on representing post-abortive women. Both of them have published nationally recognized treaties and both have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and numerous courts and legal commentators.

Jimmy Derek Moot Court Competition

April 13, 2013
This fast-paced, single day competition is held each April in loving memory of one of St. Mary’s favorite sons.

Barrister’s Ball

April 19, 2013
All are invited to celebrate the end of a year hard worked. This annual event honors new inductees into the Order of Barristers and recognizes those that excelled in advocacy during the academic year.

Contact Us

For more information about the BOA and its activities, please feel free to contact:

John Craig
Chair, Board of Advocates
St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, Texas 78228
(210) 436-3286

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External Advocacy Program

The External Advocacy Program (EAP) allows students to compete against other teams in regional and national  competitions.  The St. Mary's teams have enjoyed tremendous success. In 2012, St. Mary's won its third national championship in program history. St. Mary's teams are traditionally successful in BLSA Mock Trial competitions as well.

Moot Court Team Wins Third National Championship

The St. Mary’s University School of Law Moot Court team of third–year law student Phillip Ripper and second–year law student Rachel Felderhoff won the 2012 Federal Bar Association Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition this spring in Washington, D.C. St. Mary’s team of third–year law student Erin Oglseby and second–year law student Meagan Scott finished in third place.

“This is the first time that two St. Mary's teams have been able to accomplish the amazing feat of taking two of the top three positions at a national competition,” said Ricky Poole (J.D. ’90), adjunct law professor and advocacy coach. “To the best of my knowledge, no other law school had both of its teams break to the round of eight at the tournament, much less reach the semifinals of the competition.”

This marks the second national title in the last two years for St. Mary’s Moot Court teams and the third in program history.
This prestigious national competition addressed emerging issues of federal statutory and constitutional law and fielded 36 teams. The judges included distinguished members of the federal bench and bar from across the country who were attending the Federal Bar Association’s mid–year meeting.

Recent Moot Court Competitions

• Federal Bar Association Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition
  2012 National Champions and Third Place (two teams in semi-finals)
  
• Mack Kidd Administrative Law Moot Court Competition
  2008 Semi Finalist
  
• American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition
  2008 Regional Champions
  2007 Regional Champion
  2006 Regional Champion (Rated in top ten teams at Nationals)
  2004 Regional Finalist
  2003 Regional Finalist
  2002 National Champion / Best Oral Advocate
  
  
• Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition
  2010 Champions
  

Recent Mock Trial Competitions

• NBSLA, Thurgood Marshall National Mock Trial Competition 2010 Regional Finalist
  2009 National 1st Runner-Up, Regional Champion
  
• Univ. of Buffalo National Invitational 2009 National Quarter-Finalist

St. Mary's University School of Law hosted the 2012 Lone Star Classic^®, an annual invitational mock trial tournament opened to ABA-accredited law schools nationwide, on October 11-13, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.

2012 Lone Star Classic Champion Faulkner University Jones School of Law pictured with the judges (back).

The 2012 competition featured 16 law schools: Baylor, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Cumberland, Denver, Emory, Faulkner, Florida Coastal, Fordham, Georgia State, Houston, Loyola of Los Angeles, Michigan State, South Texas, Stetson, and Texas. Cumberland, Faulkner, Georgia State and Loyola advanced to the semifinal rounds. In the final round, Faulkner beat Georgia State for the national championship. Faulkner beat Georgia State in the final round, before judges, Judge Patrick Higginbotham, Mr. John Murphy, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Ms. Donna Coltharp, Supervising Attorney in the Office of the Federal Public Defender. 2012 Results:

• Best Speaker –Morgan Sanders, Faulkner
• Most Professional Team –Denver
• Best Opening Statement –Katelyn Ciolino, Brooklyn
• Best Direct Examination –Garth Cheek, Florida Costal
• Best Cross-Examination –Keith Knowlton, Cumberland
• Best Closing Argument –Diego Novaes, Stetson
• Best Overall Advocate –Juan Higuera, Loyola of Los Angeles

View event with iTunes.

This year's competition was conducted by the Lone Star Classic Committee--Professor Dave Schlueter, director; Marcie Trevino and Morgan Stanley, associate directors; Professor Ramona Lampley; and John Craig and Andrew Jones, committee members. The Board of Advocates spent countless hours working on the Classic and helping insure that it ran smoothly and efficiently. Without their support and participation we could not have run the competition. In addition, a number of law faculty served as judges in the preliminary rounds.

The Classic is truly a law school effort to showcase the Law School and its advocacy programs.

The Lone Star Classic Committee thanks Dean Charles E. Cantu, Assistant Dean Al Hartman, the Law Alumni Association, and the Law Administration for their support and the nearly 90 members of the bench and the bar and nearly 40 law students who served as judges, bailiffs, marshals for this year's competition.

Invitation
Entry Form
2011 Video on Demand
2010 Video on Demand
2009 Video on Demand
2008 Video on Demand

For more information about the Lone Star Classic^®, please contact:

Professor David A. Schlueter
Hardy Professor of Law and Director of Advocacy Programs
St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, Texas 78228
dschlueter@stmarytx.edu

Webcasts

The State Bar of Texas is now administrating the Supreme Court of Texas webcasts. Archived arguments are available on iTunesU. The video, audio and transcripts archives are available for downloading. This service is provided by St. Mary's School of Law and the Supreme Court of Texas for students, the legal community and general public. Click here to get the iTunesU Podcasts.

BOARD OF ADVOCATES WEBCASTS

The Board of Advocates maintains an archive of past competitions.
View Full Screen

CONTACT US

For more information about the BOA and its activities, please feel free to contact:

John Craig
Chair, Board of Advocates
St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, Texas 78228
(210) 436-3286

Contact Us

For information about the advocacy programs at St. Mary's University School of Law, please contact:

Professor David A. Schlueter
Hardy Professor of Law and Director of Advocacy Programs
St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, Texas 78228
dschlueter@stmarytx.edu

For information about the student Board of Advocates at St. Mary's please contact:

John Craig
Chair, Board of Advocates
St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, Texas 78228
(210) 436-3286
jcraig4@stmarytx.edu