82R29443 MMS-D
By: Christian H.R. No. 2477
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The University of Texas School of Law has won the
2011 John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy
Competition; and
WHEREAS, Hosted this year by George Mason University School
of Law in Fairfax, Virginia, from February 10 through 13, the
Costello competition differs from many other mock trial contests in
that each school represents only one side of the case, and unknown
facts and witnesses are revealed as the competition progresses; the
UT Costello mock trial team represented the prosecution in its case
against a hypothetical 21-year-old woman charged with DWI and
involuntary manslaughter; and
WHEREAS, Members of the UT Costello competition mock trial
team were third-year students Robert Clopton and Lauren Sprouse and
second-year students Tony McDonald and Bryan Acklin; coaching the
team were Jay Adkins, a 1982 UT law school alumnus who serves as an
assistant attorney general in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of
the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, and Ciara Williams, a
2007 alumna of the law school who maintains her own practice in
Austin; the team was sponsored by the UT law school Advocacy
Program; and
WHEREAS, This year is the first time that The University of
Texas has participated in the Costello competition and also the
first time that Mr. Adkins and Ms. Williams have coached an
interscholastic mock trial team; and
WHEREAS, The members of the UT Costello mock trial team
showed great poise and skill, winning each round of the competition
before beating the team from Catholic University in the final round
to bring home the national title; and
WHEREAS, In honor of the Costello mock trial team and The
University of Texas School of Law Advocacy Program, The University
of Texas lighted the entire tower in orange on the night of April
20, 2011, and displayed the number 1 in white lights on each side of
the building; and
WHEREAS, The Costello competition demands rigorous
preparation and outstanding persuasive skill, and the members of
the UT team may indeed take justifiable pride in their impressive
achievement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby honor Robert Clopton, Lauren Sprouse, Tony
McDonald, Bryan Acklin, Jay Adkins, and Ciara Williams and The
University of Texas School of Law Advocacy Program on winning the
national championship in the 2011 John L. Costello National
Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition and extend to the team
members and coaches and all those associated with the Advocacy
Program sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.