Trial Advocacy Honors Program

Thumbnail

The Trial Advocacy Honors Program (TAHP) was created in 1994 for students who are interested in developing the important litigation skills and valuable confidence necessary to excel in trial advocacy. Through TAHP, members (or advocates) learn to express their creativity in a simulated trial atmosphere, presenting arguments with composure and poise, while mastering the rules of evidence.

Teams participate in national and regional mock trial competitions (consisting of both criminal and civil trials) throughout the academic year, where they demonstrate case preparation, pre-trial motions and preliminary matters, opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations of witnesses, and use of exhibits. Advocates have earned awards at some of the nation's most prestigious invitation-only competitions, judged by distinguished members of the bench and bar.

TAHP advocates have the privilege of being trained by Southwestern faculty and alumni coaches whose dedication to the program have made it what it is today. Professors Joseph Esposito '89 and Bill Seki '88 serve as co-directors of the program.

  1. Intramural Competition

    The Trial Advocacy Honors Program's (TAHP) intramural competition is an in-person and on-campus competition open to all first-year Full-time Day, Full-time Online, Part-time Day, Part-time Online, PLEAS, and SCALE I students who have completed the requirements of their LAWS II course. The TAHP intramural competition is not based on the same case file as used in the LAWS II Trial Practice track and is not connected to the mandatory LAWS round. The intramural competition consists of five rounds of competition after the mandatory LAWS advocacy round has concluded:

    • Intramural Round One (for all competitors)
    • Intramural Round Two (for all competitors)
    • Quarter Finals: top 8 advocates
    • Semi Finals: top 4 advocates
    • Finals: top 2 advocates

    In the first round of the Trial Advocacy intramural competition, advocates conduct a closing argument. The best advocates of the first round are invited to compete in the second round, where they conduct a direct examination and a closing argument. At the conclusion of the second round, the top eight advocates are invited to compete in single elimination rounds. The eight finalists are chosen on the basis of a combined score of points from the first two intramural rounds. Several  students will receive awards in recognition of their accomplishments in the competition: the finalists and additional students selected from the first two optional rounds.

  2. Current Members

    2025-2026 Board of Governors

    • Alexandria Alcala, Chair of the Board
    • Laura Kato, Competitions Chair
    • Alexis Cornejo-Peril, Academics Chair
    • Alexi Ezdrin, Communications Chair
    • Kristiana Varela, Alumni Relations Chair

    Members: Senior Advocates

    • Evelyn Aguilar-Chaidez
    • Chinonso Anokwute
    • Lauren Brasesco
    • Zack Castorina
    • Zachary Fiumara
    • Miranda Hughes
    • Nick Karkanen
    • Julianna Montano
    • Xthlali Nunez
    • Kristofer Sosa
    • Esteban Urzua

    Members: Junior Advocates

    • Leslie Aguilar
    • Maya Angelo
    • Sarah Dhaou
    • Jacob Diaz
    • Inessa Hakobyan
    • Kareem Hamideh
    • Emma Jefferson
    • Liana Karapetyan
    • Shana Kozakov
    • Jamsrandorj Otgonnyam
    • Levy Pekler
    • Robert Price
    • Stephanie Rodriguez
    • Jordan Thompson

    Co-Directors

    • Professor Joseph Esposito '89
    • Professor Bill H. Seki '88

Share: