Law student Max Williams has won the University of Tennessee College of Law’s 2023 First-Year Advocacy Competition.
The event, hosted earlier this month by the College of Law’s Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, serves as an opportunity for first-year students to gain experience learning advocacy and trial skills that they would normally not be exposed to until their second year of law school. Since it’s inception 16 years ago, the event has been sponsored by College of Law alumnus Michael Galligan (’71).
Williams and the 23 other students who competed with him, were introduced to the facts of their case and had just 15 minutes to prepare their strategy before they appeared before judges to make their best opening statement.
Competitors were paired with student coaches – who have completed trial practice courses – to guide them in creating their opening statements, one of the competition coordinators Lindy Harlow said.
It’s a unique opportunity that “is intended to allow competitors to compete with no preparation,” Harlow said, adding that the event is so popular that students filled the competition slots within 20 minutes after signups became available.
This year the competitors were evaluated by Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Kristi Davis; Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Kyle Hixon; Criminal Court Judges Stacy Street, Lisa Rice and James Goodwin; Circuit Court Judge Beth Boniface; General Sessions Judges Robert Headrick and Teresa Nelson; and criminal defense attorney James Bowman.
Six students who advanced to the final round of competition included Williams, Grant Peterson, Tyrese Perry, Marieve Webb, Austin Gergen and Conner Mitchell.
Second- and third-year students are the primary organizers of the competition and are responsible for recruiting participants and managing the event. This year’s competition board included Harlow, Elizabeth Cox, Bianca Guzman, Holly Nehls and Theodora Ocken who wrote the problem for competitors to consider.
Winners of the event receive cash prizes.