Regent Law Takes #1 Spot at Spong Moot Court Tournament; Captures Regional Success in Negotiation and Advocacy Competitions

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (March 11, 2022) – Regent University School of Law is pleased to announce a series of recent national and regional victories among their moot court and negotiation teams. Most impressively, Diamond Royster and Anna Edwards, with Alex Touchet assisting on brief, won the 2022 William B. Spong Moot Court Tournament. Launched in 1972, Spong is one of the leading moot court tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic region.

In the William & Mary Entertainment Law Negotiation Tournament, Andrew Hull and Monica Hurtado—coached by Professor Eric DeGroff—advanced to the semi-final round. Additionally, Abbey Hayes and McKamie Chandler, with Kelly Aeschlimann on brief, advanced to the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition regional final round. 

Finally, Regent Law’s Trial Advocacy team of Morgan Ewing, Christina Sturgeon, Michael King, and Claire Kirk made it to the final round and placed second at the 2022 Phi Alpha Delta National Mock Trial Competition in Washington, D.C. Ewing was recognized as Best Advocate at the competition. Team coaches included Marcus Mitchell and Arielle Poe Mitchell.

“Fifty-eight national teams competed in the Spong Moot Court invitational hosted by William and Mary, and Regent Law rose to the top as champions,” said Mark Martin, dean of Regent’s School of Law. “Regent law students can compete with the best in the nation, as evidenced by each of these exceptional achievements. We are developing a remarkable company of excellent legal professionals, and I am excited for their future impact.

In the Spong tournament, a separate Regent team, consisting of Nathan Moelker, Kelsey McGee, and Sarah Cordrey Martz assisting on brief, reached the round of 16, where it lost to the team that finished second overall. Both teams were coached by Regent Law Lecturer Mike Schietzelt.

In the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Hayes, Chandler, and Aeschlimann lost by a split 2-1 ballot to a team that had the best brief in the region. Of approximately 70 advocates in the region, Chandler ranked 5th best and Hayes ranked 6th best. The Regent Law team of Gabrielle Bruno and Alyssa Rumbuc, with Anna Bahr on brief, also competed, with Bruno ranking 10th Best Oral Advocate. These teams were coached by Regent Law Professor Mike Hernandez and alumna Abigail Hilburn.

“I’ve been privileged to work closely with scores of Regent Law teams over the years, and I can attest to the fact that each team member seeks to do excellent work to represent Regent, grow professionally, and glorify God,” said Hernandez. “Look for more good news as they continue to do great work and stand out among peer law schools.”

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About Regent University   

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 10 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2022).

 About Regent Law   

Regent Law’s more than 4,465 graduates practice law in all 50 states and over 20 countries and include 38 currently sitting judges. The School of Law ranks in the top 11 percent of all law schools for graduates obtaining judicial clerkships and ranked 20th in the nation for Ultimate Bar Passage in 2019. The school offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) in three-year and part-time formats, an online M.A. in Law, an online M.A. in Financial Planning & Law, an on-campus and online LL.M. in Human Rights, and an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies.