Advocacy

Syracuse is known nationwide for its advocacy skills training

A recipient of the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Emil Gumpert Award, our program has also been honored 10 times as the state’s best trial-skills law school by the New York State Bar Association. Our students have many opportunities to hone their advocacy skills—not only in class, but also in our renowned advocacy program that features intra- and inter-collegiate competitions. Syracuse students have won numerous national and regional awards at a variety of national and international competitions.

Advocacy Curriculum

Advocacy Program

Syracuse National Trial Competition

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47th Annual Mackenzie Hughes LLP Edmund H. Lewis Appellate (2019)

Inaugural Entertainment and Sports Law Negotiation Competition (2019)

Three Major Announcements Illuminate the 2019 Advocacy Honors Society Banquet

At the Advocacy Honors Society annual banquet on April 26, 2019, Dean Craig M. Boise and Director of Advocacy Programs Professor Todd Berger made three major announcements:

Honoring a pioneering educator who has made a profound impact on the history of the College and on the lives and careers of its students, Dean Boise announced that the College of Law's Advocacy Honors Society will henceforth be known as the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honors Society. "Travis's legacy has fueled the growth and prestige of the Program. Naming the Honors Society for Travis will ensure that future generations of advocates are aware of the Program's roots and of the innovation it represented when it was created," says Dean Boise.
Dean Boise also announced a new national invitational advocacy competition that the College of Law will host in fall 2019. The Syracuse National Trial Competition (SNTC) will take place in Syracuse city courtrooms and at Dineen Hall, October 10-12. Twelve law school teams from across the nation will be selected to compete from those that apply. "The visibility the College will garner from hosting a new national trial invitational—and the level of competition we expect will take place—present a significant opportunity for our students and for the College as a whole," says Dean Boise.
2L Adam Leydig was named the 2019 Lee S. Michaels Advocate. Each year, a rising 3L will be named the Lee S. Michaels L'67 Advocate of the Year and receive a scholarship award from the newly established Lee S. Michaels L'67 Advocacy Fund. The award is based on a student's record of accomplishments as a participant in trial and appellate competitions, both inter- and intra-collegiate. A staunch supporter of the Program, Michaels is a distinguished trial attorney and Advocacy Program Adjunct Professor.

CourtCall Law School Awards Program

We are pleased to announce that Syracuse University College of Law will participate in the CourtCall Law School Awards program during the 2018-2019 academic year. CourtCall will present two graduating students with an award of $250 each for excellence in advocacy. The award recipients are to be selected by the law school’s Director of Advocacy Programs. Selection criteria include a review of a student’s individual performance and team success in the law school’s four internal competitions, intercollegiate tournaments and the student’s overall contribution to the law school’s Advocacy Program. Particular emphasis is placed on student performance and team success in the law school’s internal competitions (Hancock Estabrook 1L Oral Advocacy Competition, Bond Schoeneck & King ADR Competition, Lionel O. Grossman Trial Competition and the Mackenzie Hughes, LLP Edmond H. Lewis Appellate Advocacy Competition.) The winners will be announced at the Advocacy Honor Society banquet in the Spring.