EATS 2025
Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference
Advancing Advocacy Teaching Through Collaboration, Innovation and Technology
June 9-11, 2025
The Educating Advocacy Teachers (EATS) Conference has been hosted by Stetson Law for almost two decades and is well-known in the Advocacy community as being a truly dynamic and collaborative experience. The unique conference invites educators from around the country to share their experiences, while facilitating the exploration of new teaching techniques and technology in this specialized area. The 2025 conference will be comprised of various panels, workshops, and breakout sessions that promote small-group discussion and interaction based on trending topics identified by the trial advocacy community.
EATS is also a celebration of achievement in advocacy teaching. At the 2025 Conference, we will celebrate the recipients of the Annual Advocacy Writing Competition Award, Edward D. Ohlbaum "The Eddie" Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
EATS is an interactive conference and we are planning EATS 2025 as an in-person experience; however, we want to facilitate those who need to attend remotely. All sessions will be recorded, and some sessions will be live-streamed for online participants to watch in real time.
REGISTER for the 2025 Conference.
The EATS Hotel Block at the Beach House Suites is fully booked. View a list of hotels in the area that offer Stetson discounts.
The 2025 Agenda is forthcoming. View the 2024 agenda.
See the bios of the 2024 Conference Speakers below.
Speakers
Kristen Adams
Professor of Law
Director, Dispute Resolution Board
Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL
Tim Adams
Director of Mock Trial
Adjunct Professor
Texas Southern University
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, TX
Ramona Albin
Associate Professor of Law
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, Homewood, AL
Brett H. Bayne
Attorney with MGC Insurance Defense
Trial Advocacy Adjunct, Director & Head Coach of Mock Trial
University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, SC
Christopher Behan
Professor of Law
Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, IL
A.J. Bellido de Luna
Assistant Dean for Advocacy & Conflict Resolution
Hardy Service Professor of Law
St. Mary's University School of Law, San Antonio, TX
Justin Bernstein
Director of A. Barry Cappello Program in Trial Advocacy
Lecturer in Law
UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA
John Bishop
Visiting Professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Competitions
Chapman University, Fowler School of Law, Orange, CA
Jeff Bloom
Director of Advocacy
Mercer University School of Law, Macon, GA
Elizabeth I. Boals
Director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy
Associate Professor of Law
Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL
Brooke Bowman
Professor of Law
Director, Moot Court Board
Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL
Marian Braccia
Director of the LLM in Trial Advocacy Program
Practice Professor of Law
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Jeff Brooks
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Faculty Director of the Law Center’s Field Placement Program
Faculty Director of Moot Court, Mock Trial, and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Lousiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, LA
Megan Chaney
Co-Director, Criminal Justice Field Placement Clinic
Professor of Law
Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Suzanne Chapman
Director of Trial Advocacy
Visiting Professor
Charleston School of Law
Charleston, SC
Elizabeth Cooke
Clinic Professor in Trial Advocacy
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Megan Daic
Owner/Attorney, Daic Law
Director of ADR Competition Program
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, TX
Kirsten K. Davis
Professor of Law; Faculty Director of Online Legal Education Strategies; Provost Faculty Fellow for Generative Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education
Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL
Kate Donoghue
Associate Director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy
Adjunct Professor
Advocacy Skills Trainer
Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL
Jules Epstein
Professor of Law; Director of Advocacy Programs
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Benjamin Garmoe
Director of Trial Advocacy, National Trial Team
University of Maryland, Carey School of Law, Baltimore, MD
Cynthia Goode Works
Director, Stephen S. Weinstein Advocacy Program
American University Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C.
Mike Golden
Lecturer and Director of Advocacy
University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
John Henry
Deputy District Attorney, Riverside County, CA
Trial Team Coach, Loyola Marymount
University, Loyola Law School
Los Angeles, CA
Dominique Hinson
Director of Appellate Advocacy
Adjunct Law Professor
South Texas College of Law
Houston, TX
Thien Ho
District Attorney
Sacramento County, CA
Stephanie Howe Sullivan
Trial Training Director
South Texas College of Law
Houston, TX
The Honorable Adam Hunter
Rental Housing Commission
Adjunct Professor/Coach, Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team
Howard University School of Law
Washington D.C.
Joshua Jones
Director, Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Evanston, IL
Kevin Keyes
Adjunct Faculty
Denver University, Sturm College of Law, Denver, CO
Elizabeth Lippy
Practice Professor of Law
Director of the Trial Advocacy Program
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Robert Little
Director of Advocacy Programs
Lecturer
Baylor University, Sheila & Walter Umphrey Law Center
Waco, TX
Steven A. Lopez
Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy
St. Mary’s University School of Law, San Antonio, TX
Rhani Lott Choi
Education Director
National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA)
Boulder, CO
Adrienne Mebane
Interim Director, Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy
Loyola University School of Law
Chicago, IL
Gabe Mendoza
Assistant District Attorney, Queens County District Attorney's Office
Mock Trial Coach
St. John’s University School of Law, Queens, New York
Keith V. Morgan
Adjunct Professor
University of the District of Columbia
Kathleen Mullin
United States Navy, Judge Advocate General Counsel
Deputy Director, Defense Counsel Assistance Program
Taurus Myhand
Assistant Professor of Law
Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
Montgomery, AL
Phil Pasquarello
Trial Competition Director
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Trial Attorney at Kline & Specter, PC, Philadelphia, PA
Jo Perini-Abbott
Executive Director, Advocacy Center
Lewis & Clark Law School
Portland, OR
Katie Powers
Assistant Dean of Advocacy
Mercer Law School
Macon, GA
Reza Rezvani
Director of Trial Advocacy, Associate Professor of Law, Legal Practice
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
Sacramento, CA
The Honorable Jim Roberts
Circuit Court Judge
Sixth Judicial Circuit
Tuscaloosa, AL
Head of National Trial Teams
Samford University
Cumberland School of Law
Jared Rosenblatt
Bureau Chief, Homicide Bureau
Director Forensic Science/Cold Case Prosecutions at Nassau County District Attorney
Adjunct Professor
Maurice A. Deane School of Law
at Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY
David Santana
Attorney at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP in New York, NY
Special Professor of Law
Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY
Jennifer Scharf
Director of Trial Advocacy and Associate Dean for Career Services
University at Buffalo School of Law., Buffalo, NY
Adam Shlahet
Director
Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy Center
Fordham University School of Law, New York City, NY
Theodore Thomas
Adjunct Professor of Law
Depaul University College of Law
Chicago, IL
Benjamin Warren
Head Negotiation Coach
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law
The Honorable Christine Weems
Judge of the 281st Civil Judicial District Court
Houston, Texas
Director of the National Mock Trial Team
University of Houston Law Center
Jamie Pukl-Werbel
Associate Professor
Director of Experiential Learning
Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ
Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy
This award recognizes individuals for their exceptional contributions and lasting positive impact on how the art and science of advocacy is taught. The award acknowledges sustained high-quality work and significant accomplishments throughout a lifetime of dedicated service, as well as demonstrated commitment and continuous effort to improve advocacy education. Through a lifetime of leadership, they have inspired others in the advocacy community and have served as role models for future generations of trial lawyers.
Edward D. Ohlbaum ("The Eddie") Award
This award was created to pay forward the dedication and commitment that our friend Professor Edward Ohlbaum displayed throughout his career of coaching, training, and teaching an entire generation of advocates. The purpose of this award is to honor a relatively new coach or teacher who has displayed dedication to continuing Professor Ohlbaum’s legacy of training competent and well-rounded advocates. Special consideration will be given to those who display the highest standards of professionalism and the rule of law in their teaching.
Cornerstone Award
The award recognizes transformative members of the advocacy community who work to pioneer unique learning opportunities across the profession. The recipients of the Cornerstone Award are recognized for their unwavering commitment to protecting the right to trial by jury, developing innovative advocacy skills training opportunities, and/or contributing to the success of others within the advocacy community. Because this award celebrates the members of our community whose contributions are novel or may be based on a singular and distinct initiative, it is not offered annually.
What Participants Have Said About Our Conference
"Anyone interested in teaching advocates should try this out. It's important to protecting our profession and developing it along the path it needs to travel. EATS is really that important. It's been an eye-opener for me, reconnecting with the trial advocacy community. I'm going to be encouraging a number of people at my school to attend in the future."
"It's the only opportunity I've ever seen to get together with other people who do what you do and love it. We all just want to get better. Collaborating with these people creates new ideas that make you a better version of the teacher you already are."
"EATS is in the vanguard of the legal profession. It teaches law professors to look to the future and to share all their work with other law professors. It's gaining in strength and popularity year to year and is an example of what every law school needs.”
"It was great to network with teachers and coaches in the trial advocacy community in an environment, like this, that doesn't involve competition or anything formal. The free exchange of ideas was invigorating and already changed the way I coach mock trial teams.”
CLE Information
Stetson University College of Law will apply for CLE in Florida. Additionally, we will provide attendees with a certificate of attendance and a packet of materials so that you may apply for CLE in states other than Florida. Generally, Stetson University College of Law does not pay the application fee for CLE applications in states other than Florida. However, if your state requires a sponsor to file on behalf of the attorney, we may offer to seek accreditation in that state upon your request. While we cannot guarantee we will file in those states, we will do our best to accommodate requests of that nature.
Vendors
We will continue our practice of inviting vendors to update you on the latest developments in advocacy-related products and teaching materials.