Syracuse University College of Law’s Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society (AHS) is comprised of a select group of second- and third-year law students, representing the best oral advocates at the College. AHS exists to promote development of critical written and oral advocacy skills essential in the legal profession through a variety of student competition opportunities in appellate, dispute resolution, and mock trial settings.
AHS hosts intra-collegiate competitions open to College of Law students throughout the academic year. In addition, AHS certifies and sponsors many inter-collegiate advocate teams that participate in several competitions across the country throughout the year.
Membership Selection Process
AHS invites grade eligible first-year law students to join the Society following a competitive try-out process based on the final first-year writing assignment at the end of the academic year. Prospective members must submit their first-year appellate brief and argue its issues on appeal before a group of member “judges” to be considered for membership.
Second-year students may petition for honorary membership in AHS if they participate in the Mackenzie Hughes LLP Appellate Advocacy Competition. A maximum of 36 students are selected each year to join the Society.
Professor Emeritus Travis H.D. Lewin
AHS was named after Professor Emeritus Travis H.D. Lewin at the 2019 AHS Annual Banquet.
Founder of the College of Law’s Advocacy Program and a long-time advocacy coach and mentor, Professor Emeritus Lewin is a pioneering educator who has made a profound impact on the history of the College and on the lives and careers of its students, most notably in courtrooms nationwide.
“Travis’s legacy has fueled the growth and prestige of the Advocacy 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,” said Dean Boise.
