Baylor students are winners in trial advocacy competition.

A team from Baylor University School of Law took first place in AAJ's 2007 National Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC) this spring. Law students Danny Back, Josh Hedrick, Dan Stokes, and James Williams, coached by assistant law professor Jim Wren, beat 15 other teams.

The premier mock-civil-trial competition in the country, STAC is held each year for law students to develop and practice their trial skills before seasoned attorneys and judges. This year, host Maria Glorioso--of the Glorioso Law Firm, based in New Orleans--welcomed 16 teams to that city for the weekend of March 29 through April 1 to compete in the final rounds.

The competition began March 1 with 250 teams from 140 law schools facing off in 14 regional events, in which each team competed in three qualifying rounds. Four teams were chosen to advance to a single-elimination semifinal round based on their win/loss record, number of winning votes, and total number of points. The winners from each region received an invitation to compete in the finals in New Orleans.

In addition to Baylor's top-ranked team, this year's regional winners were Barry University of Orlando, Brooklyn Law School, California Western School of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Georgia State University College of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law, Samford University-Cumberland School of Law, South Texas College of Law, Syracuse University College of Law, Temple University School of Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Tulane University Law School, University of Alabama School of Law, University of Maryland School of Law, and Valparaiso University School of Law.

STAC cases usually deal with products liability, personal injury, and medical negligence issues. The teams are judged on their trial advocacy skills, including opening statements, use of the facts, examination of witnesses, and closing arguments. On each team of four students, two act as advocates and two as witnesses. Because each team must be prepared to represent both the plaintiff and the defendant, the roles within a team may switch from trial to trial.

AAJ members, as well as attorneys and distinguished members of the bench from the New Orleans area, served as judges and jury for this year's truck collision case, Johnson v. Keep On Trucking Co. After the qualifying and quarter-final rounds, four teams were chosen to compete in the semifinal round: Baylor, Syracuse, Temple, and Tulane. The Baylor and Syracuse teams then went head-to-head in the final round.

The members of the winning Baylor team and their coach will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the AAJ Annual Convention in Chicago.