The National Trial Team turned in an outstanding performance in the 2019 Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition, taking top honors against a very strong field that included teams from the University of Florida, Catholic University and the University of South Carolina. In addition to team honors, Kaylan Kerr LAW ’19 won the award for Best Closing Argument.

Kerr and teammates Catherine Twigg LAW ’19, Sonjay Singh LAW ’20, and Rachel Leffel LAW ’20 have also earned another distinction: each member of the team had at least one round with a perfect ballot. Director of Advocacy Programs Jules Epstein remarked on the significance of this accomplishment, given the difficulty of the problem. “This team confronted one of the most vexing criminal law case files imaginable, analyzed it well and made it their own,” he said. “They mastered law and advocacy skills to win the competition.”

Ben McKenna LAW ’13, who together with Lauren Stram LAW ’15, served as coaches, agreed. “This team won because each one of them was dedicated to getting better every day,” he said. “As coaches, we asked for a lot out of them and were never disappointed by their effort. I am very proud of what they accomplished.”

Pictured above, L to R: Kaylan Kerr LAW ’19, Rachel Leffel LAW ’20, Sonjay Singh LAW ’20, and Catherine Twigg LAW ’19.