National Pretrial Competition
The National Pretrial Competition combines real world pretrial and trial practice. Courts across the country use pretrial hearings to determine constitutional, evidentiary, and procedural matters before trial. NPTC gives student advocates the opportunity to practice a complex hearing by directing and crossing 4 witnesses and making complex factual and legal arguments on multiple evidentiary issues. Students will develop skills for properly researching, analyzing, and litigating important, case-dispositive, pretrial matters in an evidentiary hearing almost identical to a full trial. Prior to the hearing, as in real practice, the students prepare for their hearing by writing memorandums of law on each side of the case in support of their positions.
The 2025 case problem followed faculty member, Louise Shepard, at the Westmoore Military Institute who claimed she was subjected to a retaliatory hostile work environment after engaging in the protected activity of opposing Westmoor's discriminatory practices. Westmoor denied Shepard's claim and raised the affirmative Faragher-Ellerth defense, claiming that Westmoor exercised reasonable care to avoid harrassment and eliminate it when it might occur, and Shepard unreasonably failed to take advantage of corrective opportunities provided by Westmoor.
Sixteen teams from law schools across the country competed in 4 preliminary rounds, with the fourth preliminary round serving as a silent quarterfinal. The winners of the silent quarterfinal rounds advanced to a semifinal, and then the top two schools competed to take home the first place award.
Every year, Stetson invites from the applicant pool two schools that have not competed at NPTC within the last five years to further competition accessibility for advocacy programs.
The following teams competed in NPTC 2025:
- Baylor University School of Law
- Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
- Chapman University, Fowler School of Law
- Charleston School of Law
- Emory University School of Law
- Mississippi College School of Law
- Louisiana State University Paul M. Herbert Law Center
- Regent University School of Law
- Texas Tech University School of Law
- Tulane School of Law
- William & Mary Law School
- University at Buffalo School of Law
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
- University of Miami School of Law
- University of Richmond School of Law
- University of Virginia School of Law
Results
- Champion - Texas Tech University School of Law
- Best Overall Advocate - Rachel Benhke, Texas Tech University School of Law
- Second Place - Chapman University, Fowler School of Law
- Semifinalists - Regent University School of Law, University of Miami School of Law
- Quarterfinalists - Baylor University School of Law, Charleston School of Law, Mississippi College School of Law, University at Buffalo School of Law
- Best Movant’s Memorandum of Law - Charleston School of Law
- Best Non-Movant’s Memorandum of Law - University of Miami School of Law
- Most Professional Team - Chapman University School of Law
Best Advocates in Preliminary Rounds:
- Round 1 (a tie): Noah Baughman (Baylor) & Brookie Wilkens (Emory)
- Round 2 (a tie): Callum Harrleson (Baylor) & Cole Linder (Mississippi College)
- Round 3 (a tie): Sydney Harris (Charleston) & Cameron Wall (Regent)
The Nineteenth Annual National Pretrial Competition will take place from October 1-4, 2026, in the new Advocacy Institute at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, FL.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.