Events
The Advocacy Center hosts several events throughout the year. Collaboration among numerous programs with the Advocacy Center creates many opportunities for both annual and unique events. Each fall, the Advocacy Center hosts its Golf Classic, and each spring, the Center hosts the Fedoroff Lecture and celebrates student accomplishments at its Spring Banquet.
Internally, the Center hosts Lunch and Learns throughout the academic year where alumni present a topic of their choice to students in the renovated Advocacy Center located on the first floor of the law school library. The Center also provides support to the Louisiana Supreme Court when oral arguments are held at Loyola Law.
2023 Advocacy Center Banquet
The Advocacy Center held its 2023 Banquet on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 aboard the Creole Queen. The Advocacy Center congratulated its 2022-2023 board members, team members, and award winners. Congratulations to the following students:
2023 Order of Barristers Inductees
Gabrielle Ferrara
Paige Franckiewicz
Park Markwith Hegeler
Adrianna J. Humphrey
Mallory Elizabeth Knudsen
Matthew Alexander Martin
Kevin Michael Michot
Aspen Steib Murphy
Alexis A. Smith
Cassidy Smith
William Edwin Wildman, III
Angel Williams
Alternative Dispute Resolution Awards
Best Researchers: Darby Bullard and Brittanie McCain
Outstanding 1L: Paige Bahnsen
Outstanding 2L: Nick Danna
Outstanding 3L: Dawn Penn
Moot Court Awards
J. Skelly Wright Award for Exceptional Oral Ability: Emily McCrory
Edna S. Burkhalter Award for Outstanding Oral Ability: Margaret Ann Macloud
Third Place Oralist, Intramural Competition: Anh Do
Fourth Place Oralist, Intramural Competition: Mayowa “David” Olatunde
Outstanding 2L: Taylor Meyer
Outstanding 3L: Kevin Michot
Becnel Trial Advocacy Awards
Harry Herman Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy: Kenly Flanigan
Best Opening Statement: Enrique Contreras
Best Direct Examination: Alex Bellow
Best Cross-Examination: Cheyenne Blackburn
Best Closing Statement: Reese Ingram
Best Witness: Cassia Rousseau
Outstanding 3L: Angel Williams
Outstanding 2L: Jessica Natal
2023 Banquet Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
EL ABOGADO
Casey Cowley Attorneys
Hair Shunnarah Trial Attorneys
Silver Sponsors
Law Office of Mark W. Smith & Associates PLC
MAPS
Bronze Sponsors
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Frischhertz Impastato Law
Law Offices of Scott G. Jones, LLC
Liskow & Lewis
Perry Dampf & Associates
Riess LeMieux, LLC
Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers
Winston Bergeron, LLP
Every spring, the Advocacy Center gathers with students, faculty, friends, family, and practitioners to celebrate a successful year. The Advocacy Center Banquet recognizes the hard work of our programs' competitive teams and executive boards in a fun and festive atmosphere. Special awards are also given to outstanding students in the fields of alternative dispute resolution, appellate advocacy, and trial advocacy.
Loyola’s Annual Advocacy Center Golf Classic brings together practitioners, community members, and students for a day of relaxation and friendly sport. Teams of four compete in scramble format with a shotgun start. Food, beverages, a raffle, and various prizes are provided throughout the day.
2023 Advocacy Center Golf Classic
We hope you'll join us for the Third Annual Advocacy Center Golf Classic on Friday, September 8, 2023 at the Golf Club at Audubon Park. Sponsorship opportunities, food and beverage partners, and player registration information coming soon!
2022 Advocacy Center Golf Classic
It was a chilly morning, but that didn't stop the Advocacy Center from hosting its first Advocacy Center Golf Classic since 2019! Teams of golfers from across the region arrived bright and early to the Audubon Golf Course for a day of fun and fellowship.
Special Thanks to Our 2022 Golf Classic Sponsors!
Maroon Sponsors
Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLP
Hole Sponsors
Alvendia, Kelly, & Demarest Law Firm
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, PC
The Chopin Law Firm, LLC
Garvey, Smith, & Nehrbass, LLC
Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC
Winston Bergeron, LLP
Donors
Audubon Zoo
Club Pilates
Drago's Seafood Restaurant
Krewe
Raising Cane's
The Wine Seller
Vincent's Restaurant
The Gerald P. Fedoroff Speaker Series is made possible through a generous donation by Judge Fedoroff, who presided over Division E of Orleans Parish Civil District Court for more than 30 years, where he served as Chief Judge. A life-long resident of New Orleans and Loyola Law School graduate, Judge Fedoroff is well-known for a 1978 decision that declared Louisiana's "head and master" scheme for community property unconstitutional as violative of the Equal Protection Clause.
Each year, the Advocacy Center brings a distinguished practitioner to speak about effective advocacy and its application to the real world. Past speakers and topics have included Professor Tim Terrell of Emory Law School, discussing effective brief writing techniques, and Gregory S. Cusimano, discussing the social science of decision making and bias.
The 2023 Fedoroff Lecture will take place in the Fall semester. Be on the lookout for a save the date!
Attendees receive CLE credit and lunch at the reception following the presentation.
About the Event
Race Judicata is a charity 5K run/walk held in the spring and sponsored by the Advocacy Center and partnering student organizations. The event features a competitive 5K race and an after party with food, beverages, and entertainment. All proceeds go toward a charity selected by the Advocacy Center and partnering student organizations.
The 2023 Race Judicata is planned for March 2023. Be on the lookout for an official announcement soon!
Co-Sponsoring Student Organizations:
Advocacy Center, Student Bar Association, Loyola Law Review, Loyola Journal of Public Interest, Loyola Maritime Law Journal, Environmental Law Society, Federal Bar Association, Maritime Law Society, Sports and Entertainment Law Society, Evening Law Student Association, Phi Delta Phi, Hispanic Law Student Association, International Law Society.
As a first time event, the Advocacy Center hosted a debate for the candidates seeking to be elected in Louisiana’s 91st and 98th State Representative Districts on Thursday, September 26, 2019.
Promoting legislative advocacy by hosting a debate with candidates who sought to represent our school, our students, and our neighbors proved to be very exciting! Our hope is that these debates will encourage everyone to be more engaged in the democratic process.
A very special thanks to Walter J. Leger III, the termed-out House District 91 representative, and Neil C. Abramsom, the termed-out House District 98 representative, who did an incredible job as moderators. We honor all of the candidates for their time and dedication to their constituants and our great state, and congratulate Mandie Landry and Aimee Freeman who were elected to represent House District 91 and 98 respectively.
The Advocacy Center is looking forward to continuing these debates for elections in the future.
Lunch and Learn events are a way for students to meet practitioners and learn about the nuts and bolts of an advocacy practice. These events are held periodically throughout the fall and spring semesters and provide students with exposure to many different facets of practice.
In previous events, students learned from alums Philip D. Lorio, IV (2012), Roderick "Rico" Alvendia (1998), and Michael S. Brandner, Jr. (2003) who spoke respectively on "Taking a Case from Start to Finish"; "Legal Career Pathways: Defense or Plaintff?"; and "Starting Your Own Firm in a Modern Time".
We are so thankful to our practitioners for sharing their time and experience and are excited for our next round of Lunch and Learns this semester!
Please contact Program Director Evan J. Bergeron at evan.bergeron@loyno.edu or 504-861-5580 for giving opportunities.