Pepperdine Team Reaches Finals at National Trial Competition

Pepperdine Law made an impressive showing at the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) National Trial Competition, in which two trial teams and student and alumni volunteers took part in the nationally recognized event.  The Pepperdine trial team of Jenna King and Katarina Niparko Harris reached the final round and scored the highest points of the 26 teams that competed overall. In addition, the Pepperdine trial team of Miguel del Mundo, Grace Waddell, and Gib Faller reached the quarter-final round of the competition.

The annual competition, which was co-hosted by Pepperdine Law, was held at the Santa Monica Courthouse on February 8-11, 2018. Pepperdine Law had almost 100 of its alumni serve as competition judges, as well as approximately 200 students participate as court witnesses, bailiffs, and in other positions, ensuring the success of the highly attended four-day event.

According to the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the National Trial Competition was established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen students' advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar. The program is co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and is designed to expose law students to the nature of trial practice and to serve as a supplement to their education. The competition attracts teams from more than 140 law schools and involves more than 1,000 law students each year.

Pepperdine Law congratulates all its students and alumni who enhanced Pepperdine's national reputation at the competition.