Trial Team Wins Regionals to Advance to National ABA LEL Trial Advocacy Competition
On to nationals Kevin McCandlish, Kevin Biniazan, Tasha Thompson, and Megan Watson will compete in New Orleans in January.
William & Mary Law School’s Trial Team will advance to the national ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law (LEL) 13th Annual Law Student Trial Advocacy Competition in New Orleans in January after taking top honors at the regional competition held in Washington, D.C., on October 29-30. The team of Kevin Biniazan J.D. '17, Kevin McCandlish J.D. '18, Tasha Thompson J.D. '17, and Megan Watson J.D. '18 defeated a team from Georgetown University Law Center at regionals to earn a spot in the national tournament. A second William & Mary Law School team also competed in regionals and advanced to the semi-final round. Members of that team included Jennifer Quezada Castillo J.D. '18, Molly Ramsden J.D. '18, Spencer Reiss J.D. '17, and Laura Worden J.D. '17.
This is the fourth consecutive year that a William & Mary team has won the regional competition. Last year, a team from the school advanced to the semi-finals at the national tournament.
3L Tasha Thompson is a member of the squad that will compete in the national competition in New Orleans and said each member of her team performed at his or her highest level. “During the tournament, everyone was polished and professional. I was proud of everyone's performance,” she said. “Both Kevin Biniazan and Kevin McCandlish delivered powerful closing arguments. In addition, as one judge noted, as soon as Megan Watson started delivering her opening statement, the passion in it was so clear and earnest that everyone wanted to believe anything she said.”
According to the tournament website, the competition was established “to introduce law students to the challenges and rewards of employment and labor litigation.” The event “offers participating students a forum in which they may develop the skills they will be using as practitioners, and a chance to meet and network with fellow law students and labor and employment law practitioners.”
The Law School's National Trial Team is one of the top teams in the nation, competitively selected from among dozens of law students in the team’s annual selection tournament. Team members are coached and taught by accomplished trial lawyer Jeffrey Breit. Members gain extensive training in trial advocacy, including evidentiary objections, trial skills, and trial strategy.
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America's oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.