Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tue, 20 Apr 2010

Liberty University School of Law recently competed in the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition national finals in Chicago.  The team of Ben Walton, Tim Todd, and Matthew Hegarty finished the tournament in the top 16 teams in the country.  This is the second year in a row that Liberty has finished in the top 16.

Following preliminary round wins over the University of Florida and Seton Hall, Liberty entered the elimination rounds as the number one seed: the first time that any Liberty team has ever been ranked number one in either regional or national competition.  The team lost a very close split decision to eventual national champion South Texas College of Law.

In addition to finishing in the top 16, Liberty also earned awards for having the second best written brief in the country, and Tim Todd was named the fourth best oral advocate at the tournament.  It was the final tournament for Ben Walton and Matt Hegarty, both 3Ls who will graduate in May.  Tim Todd, a 2L will anchor Liberty’s team next year.  Ben Walton will graduate as the most decorated moot court competitor in the school’s history with nine individual and team awards in his three years of competition.    

Scott Thompson, Director of the Center for Lawyering Skills and Faculty Advisor to the Moot Court program coached the team.  He stated: “This team was as good as every other team at the tournament.  At this level almost every team is capable of winning the whole thing and our team was certainly no exception.  It is always disappointing to lose, especially when you go into the elimination rounds ranked number one, but our team did everything that we asked of them and they and the entire school should be proud of their accomplishments.  Simply making it to the round of 16 two years in a row is an accomplishment that only the elite moot court programs in the country can boast.”  

Liberty University School of Law is a national law school committed to academic and professional excellence in the context of the Christian intellectual tradition.  For more information about Liberty University School of Law, please call 434-592-5300.