Edwards, Verhoek Win 2020 Sutton Barrister's Union Trial Competition

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2020 William H. Sutton Barrister's Union Trial Competition finalists, co-chairs and judges

Law students Ashley Edwards and Rebekah Verhoek have won the 2020 William H. Sutton Barrister's Union Trial Competition. The team of Harper Hudson and Greer Bryant were runners-up. Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice John Dan Kemp, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks and U.S. public defender Anna Williams presided over the final round.

"Not only am I proud of how all our contestants performed, I think our law school is fortunate to have distinguished alumni willing to take time out of their day to serve the law school," said Cory Ingram, competition co-chair. "Our final round judges have been a joy to work with, and our contestants are lucky to get advice and feedback from such seasoned attorneys and judges."

In the preliminary rounds, 14 teams competed by using different courtrooms and breakout rooms on the software platform Zoom. The online format allowed judges from around Arkansas to critique the students and offer feedback on their trial skills.

"Your willingness and ability to adapt to a virtual competition was truly impressive and done in such a way that is beyond reproach," competition co-chair Hayden Wyatt said of the competitors who took on this year's challenge. "This competition would not have been possible without you."

The Board of Advocates trial competition co-chairs and committee worked through the summer to adapt the competition to social distancing guidelines. The trials adhered to social distancing guidelines by video calling all attorneys, witnesses and judges.

"I appreciated that we were able to compete even in the midst of a pandemic," Edwards said. "It highlights the adaptability of everyone in the legal profession and provided us with the opportunity to see how we can use technology in our future careers."