Campbell Law advocates participate in first-ever Charleston Court-Martial Challenge

Photo of Campbell Law 2025 Charleston Court Martial Competition advocates

Campbell Law School advocates made waves at the first-ever Charleston Court-Martial Challenge hosted by Charleston School of Law and the United States Coast Guard.
The prestigious competition featured a criminal fact pattern in a military court setting and was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, whose lawyers and judges served as jurors and evaluators.

“Our talented team of four advocates, Cole Hallum ’25, Sydney Hussey ’25, Stephanie Kite ’25 and Daisy McAteer ’25, delivered dominant performances as they competed in their second day of preliminary rounds,” explained their coach, Assistant Professor of Law Chris Cox, who is director of the law school’s trial advocacy program.
“For the defense, Cole exhibited text-book cross examination tactics while eviscerating the opponent’s witness. Sydney brought the case home with a dynamic and powerful closing argument. For the prosecution, Stephanie directed her witness through a captivating courtroom demonstration of the circumstances surrounding the charges. Daisy’s opening statement incorporated a theme and storyline that drew praise by the judges. With one day to go, these advocates have already delivered on the promise and exhibited the performance consistent with the best traditions of Campbell lawyers.”
The team, which eventually placed fifth, was also coached by Judge Charles Warren. “We lost by one ballot and five points to Fordham Law, who won the entire event,” Cox added.
Photo of Campbell Law 2025 Charleston Court Martial Competition advocates and coaches

The trial competition, hosted by the Charleston Law Trial Advocacy program and the U.S. Coast Guard, attracted eight law schools from seven states — South Carolina, Alabama, Nevada, Florida, New York, Texas, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Over the course of three days, 32 student-advocates argued 19 trials before more than 30 J.A.G. Officers from four military branches — U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army. With the support and coordination efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, the J.A.G. Officers travelled from across the nation to serve as presiding and scoring judges.

Eight law schools participated in the competition held March 7-9. In addition to Campbell Law, law schools competing included:

  • Stetson University
  • Howard University
  • Fordham University
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of Alabama
  • University of Houston
  • University of Nevada Las Vegas

The Charleston Court-Martial Challenge presents students with the unique opportunity to try an authentic court-martial case file according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Military Rules of Evidence (MRE). Students are introduced not only to the law and practice of the military courts but also to the active–duty J.A.G. Officers who try and preside over these type of cases in our nation’s military courts every day.

“Charleston Law and our Trial Advocacy program were honored to host this first-ever mock court-martial competition,” said Professor Suzanne Chapman, director of the Charleston Law Trial Advocacy program. “We want to thank all of the participating schools, the many civilian and J.A.G. volunteers, and the U.S. Coast Guard for making this inaugural competition such a spectacular success. We are already looking forward to hosting it again next year.”

Rear Admiral Bill Dwyer, the Coast Guard’s Chief Prosecutor, added, “Our judge advocates were thrilled to be a part of putting this event together, giving top-notch law students a chance to see what careers in military justice and service to the Nation look like up close. This is a textbook example of the collaborative partnership we enjoy with Charleston Law.”