Regent Law Wins Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship

February 5, 2026

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Feb. 5, 2026) — Regent University School of Law is proud to announce that its team of Elie El-Habr, Diana Bloomquist, and Emily Mayers won the Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship, an elite invitational competition hosted by the Blakely Advocacy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center.

The Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship is an invitational open only to the nation’s top 16 moot court programs from the previous year. Regent Law, ranked 11th nationally in 2025, advanced through the tournament undefeated. The team bested the University of Georgia, SMU, NYU, and Seton Hall in the preliminary rounds, then prevailed over UCLA, the University of Kansas, and Baylor University in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship rounds, respectively.

“It is exciting and gratifying to win this national championship,” said Professor Michael V. Hernandez, who coached the team. “But beyond the title, I am most grateful for the way these students grew—working selflessly together, representing Regent Law with excellence, and glorifying the Lord throughout the competition.” The championship coincides with the recent announcement of the Singer Center for Advocacy, which reflects Regent Law’s commitment to strengthening advocacy training and professional formation.

In addition to Professor Hernandez’s leadership, the team benefited from strong support across the Regent Law community. Special thanks are due to 3L Lauren Kotlar, who served as assistant coach, as well as to the many alumni and students who volunteered their time to moot the team and to those who supported them in prayer.

Professor Hernandez also thanked Professor Jennifer R. Franklin for her invaluable mooting support this semester while helping coordinate coaching responsibilities across Regent Law’s advocacy teams. Franklin previously served as Faculty Advisor to the Moot Court Program at William & Mary Law School, which also qualified for this year’s national championship field.

Beyond competitive success, the team was recognized for its character and Christian witness. According to Kotlar, judges at the competition commended the team for both their advocacy skills and the distinction of a small Christian law school producing advocates of such caliber.

“It was a joy to watch them excel in the gifts God has given them,” Kotlar said, “and to see others recognize something different in the way they carried themselves.”

To God be the glory.

About Regent Law

Regent Law equips students to serve as purpose-driven, practice-ready attorneys grounded in timeless legal principles. More than 3,800 alumni practice in all 50 states and over 20 countries, including 38 currently serving as judges. In 2025, Regent ranked #94 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report — the fastest-rising law school in the nation from 2021 to 2025. Regent Law also achieved the highest first-time bar passage rate in Virginia on the 2024 exam and ranked 39th in the nation for first-time bar passage overall. Additional honors include a tie for 2nd in the nation for professor accessibility and 9th for teaching quality according to Princeton Review. It offers a 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, an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies, and an online B.A. in Law.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with nearly 14,000 students studying on its 100-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online worldwide. 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 has been ranked the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 13 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2025) and the #1 Best Christian College in America (Bible College Online, 2025).

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