McGeorge's Mock Trial Competition team capped off another successful season with a spring campaign highlighted by a March victory in the American Association for Justice NorCal regional tournament and an appearance in the AAJ national finals.

"Our students performed admirably during an academic year in which all events were conducted remotely because of Covid-19 restrictions," Professor Cary Bricker says. "Our alumni coaches also deserve our sincere gratitude for their willingness to devote countless hours under difficult circumstances."

Vanessa Washington, Richanne Roope, Aaron Cadiz, and Arash Aalem comprised the McGeorge team that won the AAJ event and advanced to the national finals. They finished fifth in the April championship round, which was won by UCLA. Keith Hill, '96, Thien Ho,'98, and Niki Cunningham,'11, coached the foursome.

In February, McGeorge sent two teams to the 47th Annual Texas Young Lawyers National Trial Competition, which is also sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers. Jackson Haddon, and Nicholas Stotter were regional finalists while Josh White and Yully Tsymbal had a fifth-place finish. Leland Washington, '01, and Jason Schaff, '06, coached the teams.

McGeorge also participated in the Capital City Challenge, an invitational tournament hosted virtually by American University. Desirae Sanchez, Adrienne Black, Aya Aldairi, and Taylor Arthur made it to the quarterfinals. Byron Roope, '08, and Matt Taylor, '11, were the co-coaches.

"Josh White will represent McGeorge in the upcoming Baylor Top Gun Invitational," Bricker says. "Our own Simone Leighty, coached by Jason Schaff, won this competition last June competing against the very best student advocates in the country."

U.S. News & World Report ranked McGeorge's trial advocacy program as the No. 8 legal skills curriculum of its kind in the nation in its 2021 Best Graduate Schools guide.