RALEIGH — Campbell Law School advocates brought home hardware in the form of several awards March 27-29, 2025, from the 14th Annual South Texas Mock Trial Challenge held at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas.
The team of third-year law students Annaliese Spielman, Grant Draughn, Jessica McClellan and Christian Ray marched through the first three preliminary rounds, and the later advanced rounds, finishing as National Quarterfinalists and earning an Outstanding Brief Award. In addition to their team success, Draughn was awarded a coveted trophy for being an Outstanding Advocate in the competition out of more than 200 student trial lawyers.
Law students from across the country battle it out in a high-stakes, fast-paced trial setting in this prestigious competition.
“This competition required learning 10 witnesses, where most competitions only have four, and writing a brief prior to competition,” explained the team’s Coach Maria Hawkins ’17 on a LinkedIn post. “I could not have done it without my amazing co-coaches Hunter Holtzclaw ‘21 and Sydney Kraft ‘24! And a shoutout to our amazing South Texas witness Madeline Gierkey!”
Learn more about the competition at this link.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1986, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 5,000 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2025, Campbell Law celebrated 45 years of graduating legal leaders and 15 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.