Continuing a succession of Moot Court wins for the university, Howard Payne University students Isaac Sommers and Rebeca Puente prevailed in their first Moot Court tournament of the year. The team will advance to nationals in the American Collegiate Moot Court Association, competing at California State University, Long Beach, in January.
The UNT Law Invitational Tournament was held at the University of North Texas Dallas Law School in October with 50 teams from across the nation competing.
After successfully completing round one, Sommers, a sophomore from Boerne, and Puente, a junior from Waskom, advanced to the octo-final round, quarterfinals and semifinals. They beat Texas A&M University and two teams from California State University, Long Beach, respectively. They then faced off against UNT Denton in the finals and won unanimously. Sommers also won the 4th place oralist award.
Additionally, Sommers and Puente were finalists at a regional tournament at Texas A&M University during which they both won Top Orator awards.
Dr. Justin D. Murphy, HPU’s Brand professor of history, dean of the School of Humanities and director of the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy, lauded the successes of the students and their coach, Lorianna Kelley, assistant professor of government.
“I cannot emphasize enough how valuable Professor Kelley’s contributions are to the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and Howard Payne University,” Dr. Murphy said. “I commend her outstanding efforts and devotion to our students.”
Pictured above: HPU students Rebeca Puente, left, and Isaac Sommers took first place at a recent Moot Court tournament. The team will advance to nationals, competing at California State University, Long Beach, in January.
