Southwestern Student Named Best Advocate at TAHP Competition
At the recent American Association for Justice (AAJ) Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition in Santa Monica, Southwestern Trial Advocacy Honors Program (TAHP) team member Lindsay Gardner won Best Advocate.
She represented the defendant, a hotel in a wrongful death liability
case. Her coach, alumnus Edwin Rathbun '02, praised the performance of
the entire team, which also consisted of Fritzgerald Javellana, Cory Scott, and Lou Myers.
Of Gardner's presentation, he said, "She was simply outstanding. After
five weeks of practice, she really shined at the competition. Lindsay's
courtroom presence and her ability to connect with people no doubt won
the judges over. In particular, her closing argument was great. It was
well-organized and the delivery was awesome. All of this combined with
her communication skills and ability to think quickly on her feet will
make her an outstanding trial attorney."
Gardner, a third-year day
student who also sits on the TAHP Board, credits the support she
received with preparing her for the competition. "My teammates and
coaches really helped push me to give 150% at every practice, and if it
was not for them, I would not have performed so well," she said.
"Winning Best Advocate was one of my goals for this competition. I feel
very honored to have won."
