WACO, TEXAS — Campbell Law School’s Samantha Border ’25 was among 16 participants in Baylor Law School’s 16th annual 2025 National Top Gun Mock Trial Competition, one of the country’s most prestigious and demanding events for student advocates, sponsored by MG+M law firm on May 28-June 1. Campbell Law was the only North Carolina law school represented in the competition.
The 16 competitors are selected by their schools for their advocacy skills and winning achievements in other mock trial competitions. They received the case file just 24 hours before the opening rounds, requiring them to swiftly analyze large amounts of complex materials and documents and devise a compelling case strategy under considerable time constraints.
Sarah Paul of Ohio State University Moritz College of Law was named the eventual winner. In addition to bragging rights as the 2025 Top Gun, the competition winner received a $10,000 prize, made possible through the generous support of MG+M Law Firm, which also sponsors networking sessions for Baylor Law School students during the event.
“Top Gun challenges students in a way no other competition can,” said Robert Little, director of Advocacy Programs at Baylor Law School. “It demands clarity of thought, command of courtroom skills and the ability to perform at the highest level under pressure. We are proud to host a competition that both highlights and advances the standard of excellence in trial advocacy.”
The competition began with an orientation and welcome dinner on the evening of Wednesday, May 28. Competitors received their case files the following morning. Preliminary rounds were held from Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1, with the semifinal round beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday. The final round was held later that day at 2 p.m. and was livestreamed at https://www.baylor.edu/law/live.
This Top Gun Competition was Campbell Law’s 11th time securing an invitation to this prestigious tournament. Previously, Campbell Law has had two final four finishes by Andrew Shores ’13 and Kaitlin Rothecker ’15, and two championship victories by Jacob Morse ’17 and Tatiana Terry ’19.
Terry served as Border’s coach and Hailey LaRock ‘26 accompanied Border to the competition, said Director of Competitive Advocacy Rene Shekmer. Border, who hails from Ripley, West Virginia, was featured in a recent article in the West Virginia News.
The 16 students competing in Top Gun XVI were:
Samantha Border – Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Gabriella Youash – Chicago-Kent College of Law
Brian Boatwright – Mercer University School of Law
Sarah Paul – Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law
Justin Fuller – St. John’s University School of Law
Grayson Walden – Samford University, Cumberland School of Law
Memona Niazi – South Texas College of Law Houston
Madeleine Bodiford – Stetson University College of Law
John Rutecki – Syracuse University College of Law
Brian Anderson – UC Berkeley Law
Kensington Cotter – UCLA School of Law
Kieran Woerner – University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Drake Jones – University of Georgia School of Law
Ashley Travis – University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
Grace Naumowich – University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Kelsey McCafferty – Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
As the host institution, Baylor Law School does not field a competitor in the competition.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law School 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 2026, Campbell Law will celebrate 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.