Competitive Advocacy Update

Competitive

Advocacy Program

Paul Parisi ‘06, Director of Cal Western’s Competitive Advocacy Program

California Western’s Competitive Advocacy Program (CAP) is comprised of our Trial, Appellate, Jessup, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) teams, along with the Moot Court Honors Board. CAP provides all students the opportunity to participate in advocacy workshops, intraschool competitions, trial and appellate bootcamp classes, and the chance to be a part of our advocacy teams. Our teams compete against other law schools locally, nationally, and even internationally.

Students who join advocacy teams often come away from the experience having reached skill levels that match or exceed those of attorneys who have been practicing for years. Students are taught how to conduct an entire trial, cross-examine difficult witnesses, apply evidence law through objections, write appellate briefs, argue in front of and withstand questions from panels of appellate judges, and negotiate successfully. They are also taught how to work effectively and ethically with their teammates and opponents. Our students have even been offered jobs on the spot by attorneys judging their competitions!

Over the past two years CAP undertook the daunting task of transitioning to a new world of online instruction and competitions. Not only did the students and coaches successfully adapt, but they have had an incredible run of victories even in the face of the pandemic and its many challenges. Some highlights included California Western becoming the ABA Negotiation National Champions, winning the local trial competition over USD, and in the prestigious Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition we were 1 of only 15 law schools from the United States (85 U.S. schools entered the competition) and the only law school from California to advance to the Global Rounds!

Every win, especially on the national stage, makes other law schools more and more aware that Cal Western and our students are an advocacy force to be reckoned with.

In December of 2019 Mario Conte retired after leading the program for over 15 years and alumnus Paul Parisi took over as Director of CAP. Paul was a Deputy Public Defender in San Diego for many years. He is one of the initial advocacy students that worked with Mario to help create the current structure of the advocacy program and has coached over 15 trial teams and has taught trial skills as an adjunct professor since he graduated Cal Western in 2006, so he has a vested interest in the ongoing success of the program.

If you would like more info about CAP or want to learn more ways that you can support the advocacy students’ efforts, please feel free to reach out to Paul at PParisi@cwsl.edu.

Competitive Advocacy Program’s Results and Accomplishments by Team for 2020 & 2021:

Alternative Dispute Resolution Teams (ADR)

1st Place | Regional Winner – ABA Negotiation Regional Competition (2021) 1st Place | National Champions - ABA Negotiation National Competition (2021) 2nd Place - ABA Mediation Regional Competition (2021) 1st Place | Regional Winner – ABA Mediation Regional Competition (2020) 1st Place | Regional Winner – ABA Negotiation Regional Competition (2020)

Appellate Teams

1st Place for Best Brief and 2nd Place for Oral Advocacy + Best Advocate Award - Pepperdine National Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition (2021) 2nd Place for Best Brief - Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition (2021) Final Four Team & Outstanding Advocate - National Online Moot Court Challenge (2021) Advanced to Global Rounds and 5th Place for Best Brief in Regional Competition- Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2021) 1st Place AND Best Brief - UC Davis Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition (2020) 1st Place for Best Brief and Final Four Team for Oral Advocacy - Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition (2020)

Trial Teams

Final Four Team & Outstanding Advocate Award - All-Star National Challenge Trial Competition (2021) 2nd Place – San Diego ABTL Competition (2021) Final Four Team - AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Regional Competition (2021) 1st Place – San Diego ABTL Competition (2020)