Hard work betrays none
The following testament was submitted by Brian Boatwright, Mercer Advocacy Council president:
At the end of the 2023-2024 school year Mercer Advocacy Council (MAC) had cemented itself as one of the premier advocacy programs in the nation. The question then became, how do we continue to improve on this success this year? The answer was that everyone had to buy into the program’s motto that: hard work betrays none.
This quote which has been the foundation of MAC since I joined in the spring of 2022 has allowed students, who have never stepped foot into a courtroom or conference room before, to win championships, best advocate awards, and to make a name for themselves and Mercer while competing against some of the top law schools in the nation.
It all starts at the top. Dean Powers and Director Bloom pour countless hours into each individual team to ensure that they are ready to compete at the highest levels. Their dedication and passion are what drives this program. Further, the numerous coaches who volunteer their time driving to Macon or traveling across the country with their respective teams cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. Without them MAC would not, and could not be, as successful as it is.
This year’s MAC executive board has also taken major steps in showing that hard work betrays none. Our respective team chairs who are Taj Haywood (Moot Court) Brinson Raley (Mock Trial), Joe Oliver (Arbitration), Anjali Patel (Negotiations), and Jasmine Reaves and Lakeisha Young (Client Counseling) have worked incredibly hard balancing schoolwork, personal commitments, competitions and other obligations, all while ensuring that their teams are running smoothly and providing assistance and support to members. Their contributions and work ethic cannot be overstated.
Because the leadership of MAC has shown that hard work betrays none, there has been buy in from the program as a whole. I consistently see people from different teams or in different graduating classes listening to each other’s materials, attending practices, and providing each other with feedback. As a result, the current 2L class is slated to be one of the most talented classes Mercer has seen. Their commitment and interest in advocacy has been incredible to watch.
While MAC is spread out amongst many teams (totaling 73 students) which focus on different areas of the law, it is one program with the goal that its members join the ranks of the many renowned attorneys and judges who have attended Mercer Law ready to practice. I believe the success this semester shows that hard work betrays none.
Fall Semester Accomplishments:
At the conclusion of the fall competition season, Mercer is now ranked 2nd in the nation in trial advocacy competitions per the prestigious Gavel Rankings. This is Mercer’s highest ranking to date. It reflects broad and consistent programmatic success across all Mercer’s competition teams.
- Tournament of Champions:
Brian Boatwright, Olivia Salter, Isabelle Darrah and John Roberts came in 2nd Place. Boatwright won Best Advocate in the final round. The Tournament of Champions is the premier fall trial competition. The field is composed of sixteen of the nation’s top trial advocacy programs which are selected based upon their last three years of success at the major trial competitions. - Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition:
Taj Haywood and Julian Santos were semifinalists. Ashley Hall and John Forbes advanced to the sweet sixteen. - Hofstra Medical-Legal Trial Competition:
Madison Schumm, Mark Wheeler, Drew Martens, Katelyn Phillips, and Seth Lewis were semifinalists. Madison Schumm and Mark Wheeler won Outstanding Advocate awards.“Our team learned how to advocate our case while explaining some relatively difficult medical concepts in a way that kept an audience engaged while understanding the science behind everything. This balancing act presented us with some unique challenges, but I enjoyed learning how to advocate, inform, and keep the audience engaged because these are real skills I intend to build on and utilize in the future.” Mark C. Wheeler II, ’25
“I truly believe these competitions and experiences will prepare me for success in my future career as a lawyer by allowing me to learn, grow, and practice in a courtroom setting. Nothing quite prepares you for thinking on your toes like a mock trial competition, and I have come to realize that skill is critical to being a trial lawyer. Overall, this has been an enriching semester, and I am immensely proud of my individual team and our entire mock trial program for their hard work and success.” Madison Schumm, ’25
- Summit Cup:
Mallory Wall, Brinson Raley, Nevie Amaral, and Jasmine Reeves were semifinalists. Summit Cup is an exclusive trial competition. In order to receive an invitation to Summit Cup, a school must have won a trial championship in the preceding year. As a result, the field is remarkably competitive. - National Trial Advocacy Competition:
Josh Wright, Kendall White, Talia Levine, and Peter Rowsey were finalists. The Mercer team was composed of all 2Ls participating in their first trial competition. - Premiere Trial Competition:
Elena Laross, Joi Nobles, Caroline Hager, and Gabby Brown were the winners of the Premiere Trial Competition. Laross won a Best Advocate award. The Mercer team was composed of all 2Ls participating in their first trial competition. - Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition:
McKayla Doss, Allison Cartwright, and Will Bazemore finished as quarterfinalists. Mallorie Mitchell and Bryan Bowden finished as octofinalists and won Best Brief in the competition. In a field of 43 teams, both Mercer teams made the sweet sixteen where they faced each other. - National Pretrial Competition:
Chloe Bonds won a Best Advocate award. Bonds, Rich Morrison, Jordan Bell, and Devin Joiner competed in the National Pretrial Competition hosted by Stetson. - William Daniel National Mock Trial Competition:
Olivia Salter, Mallory Wall, Brinson Raley, Mary Evelyn Brock, Cassie Doscher, and Sheldon Suggs attended the William Daniel National Mock Trial Competition hosted by Georgia State University College of Law. In the final competition of the fall season, Mercer Law finished as semifinalists.
