Florida State University College of Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) placed first in the Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition at the Southern Region of the Black Law Students Association’s regional convention.
The competition took place Jan. 30–Feb. 2 in Charleston, South Carolina. The win means that FSU’s BLSA will move on to the national competition at National Black Law Students Association Annual Convention in Cincinnati.
FSU’s team competed in five rounds and was undefeated throughout the mock trial competition. A total of nine law school teams competed, including teams from University of Alabama, University of Florida and University of North Carolina.
Winning team members were second-year student Anthony Smith, of Plantation, Florida; and first-year students Destinee Campbell, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Christopher Ramirez, of Miami Lakes, Florida; Shaina Ruth, of Jacksonville, Florida; and alternate Zuriel Denmark, of Lakeland, Florida. They were coached by Florida State law alumni Louis Jean-Baptiste (’16), who practices at the Law Office of Stephen G. Webster, LLC in Tallahassee, and Matthew C. Williams (’13), who practices at Akbar Law Firm, P.A. in Tallahassee.
“Congratulations to our students on this competition victory, which continues an excellent record of success by FSU BLSA in regional and national competitions,” said Dean Erin O’Connor. “We are extremely proud of these talented student advocates and their dedicated coaches.”