Campbell Law advocates compete in 2025 Tournament of Champions
Campbell Law School has sent a team of four advocates to the 2025 Tournament of Champions (TOC) Mock Trial Competition at Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas, on Oct. 23-26.
The team is made up of Thomas Lotito ‘26, Caroline Shabet ‘27, Keriann Rodriguez ’27 and David Olshinski ‘26. Their coaches are Jacob Morse ’17 and newly minted attorney and mock trial champion Austin Graham ’25, said Director of Competitive Advocacy Rene Shekmer. “Newly minted attorney and mock trial champion Megan Pope ’25 also put in an appearance to assist with coaching the team,” Shekmer said.
The team is generously sponsored by the law firm of Riddle and Riddle.
Shekmer added she would like to recognize and thank the TOC Ghost Team and coaches for the hard work they also put into this competition, “so our team members could learn how to compete and to assist our travel team in preparing for competition.”
The Tournament of Champions Ghost Team consists of Hailey LaRock ‘26, Steven Downs ‘27, Brittany Swanger ‘27 and Caitlin Heidel ‘27. Their coaches are Director of Trial Advocacy Chris Cox and Professor Charles Warren.
“This past weekend, the travel team and the Ghost Team engaged in their final scrimmage,” Shekmer said. “Well done to both teams and good luck!”
The TOC is one of the nation’s most prestigious law school advocacy events. Sponsored by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and Trial Lawyers for Justice, the invitation-only competition brings together top law students from 16 elite trial advocacy programs across the country.
Each fall, teams of four law students argue both sides of a complex civil case — twice as plaintiffs and twice as defendants — testing their skills in real-world courtroom settings.
In addition to Campbell Law, the 2025 competing schools are as follows:
- Chicago-Kent College of Law
- Howard University School of Law
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
- Mercer University School of Law
- New York University School of Law
- Samford University Cumberland School of Law
- South Texas College of Law Houston
- St. John’s University School of Law
- Temple University Beasley School of Law
- University of California at Berkeley Law
- University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law
- University of Georgia School of Law
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
- Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law