For the second year in a row, Regent University's School of Law Moot Court Team took first place honors at the William B. Spong National Moot Court Tournament, sponsored by the College of William & Mary School of Law. Regent's team consisted of 2L students Chuck Slemp (Law-Government) and Audre Honnas, who were coached by Michael Hernandez, faculty Moot Court Board advisor and Law professor."This competition is outstanding," said Hernandez. "Chuck and Audre were spectacular. I think their semi-final argument was the best moot court team argument that I've ever seen. Numerous state and federal judges judged several rounds—the exposure to the bench and bar, as well as other law schools, is invaluable."
In preparation for the tournament, Honnas and Slemp had five intensive weeks of practice with many professors, students and alumni. Their efforts paid off—Regent defeated New York University (5th ranked law school in the nation) in the finals and South Texas (currently the top-ranked moot court program in the country) in the semi-finals.
"I must recognize the support of those who helped us prepare," Slemp said. "Particularly Professor Hernandez who encouraged us on an almost daily basis to work harder, dig deeper and—for me at least—to remember to answer the judges' questions concisely and directly."
The William B. Spong Moot Court Tournament was named in honor of William B. Spong, Jr., an esteemed jurist and former dean of the William & Mary School of Law. Tournament organizers extend invitations to compete to a limited number of United States law schools and host approximately 24 to 26 teams each year.