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ADVOCACY SKILLS ON DISPLAY
University of Houston Law Center students
took their advocacy and mediation skills east
and across the Atlantic, walking away with
victories and awards in four competitions in
February 2016. “We have tremendous students,”
said Jim Lawrence, director of the Blakely
Advocacy Institute, “and their success continues to show the strength of our
broad-based advocacy training.”
PRE-TRIAL JUSTICE REFORM Moot court teams showed their range, making exceptionally strong showings
Improving the criminal justice system by making it in immigration, environmental and criminal law competitions.
more cost-efficient, mass incarcerations in local jails In Washington, D.C., the team of David Lopez, Melissa MacNeil and Lance
caused by the pretrial process and the case of Sandra Morgan was crowned National Champions in the Catholic University of America,
Bland were discussion points in January 2016 at a Columbus School of Law’s Immigration Law Moot Court Competition. The team
symposium hosted by the University of Houston Law was coached by UHLC alumni Sushant Mohan and Evan Blankenau.
Center’s Criminal Justice Institute and Health Law &
Policy Institute. Further to the northeast in White Plains, NY, the team of Catherine Figueiras,
The symposium, “Police, Jails and Vulnerable People: Elbert Ortiz and Kelsey Trom were finalists in the Pace University Law
School’s National Environmental Law Moot Court competition, which featured
New Strategies for Confronting Today’s Challenges,” 54 teams from across the U.S. The team was coached by UHLC alums Sarah
was presented in collaboration with The University of Williams and Phillip Baggett, with subject matter assistance from Victor
Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Cardenas of the firm of Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs.
Affairs. Panelists and members of the audience included
five Texas legislators, law enforcement officers, jailers, Sepi Zimmer was named “Best Speaker – Preliminary Rounds” in the
representatives from the mental health profession, court Costello Criminal Law Mock Trial Competition hosted by George Mason
administrators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, pretrial University Law School in Arlington, VA. The UHLC teams were coached by
services representatives and criminologists. UHLC alums Jackie Houlette and Julie Gray.
State Sen. John Whitmire ’80, chairman of the Senate Fabiana Baum and Sebastian Ornstein brought home the award for “Best
Criminal Justice Committee with oversight of the Mediation Plan” from the International Commercial Mediation Competition,
adult and juvenile criminal justice systems, was the hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France. The
symposium’s keynote speaker. He said the criminal competition featured 66 teams from 30 countries. The UHLC students were
justice system can improve with fewer incarcerations coached by UHLC alum Kevin Hedges.
of non-violent offenders and that he is prioritizing the
bail bonding process for overhaul. When referencing CYBER TEACHING
the Sandra Bland case, Whitmire said the system must
improve when documenting the mental health of During the fall semester, the University of Houston Law Center began
offenders and what happens when people arrive at jail. providing more online capabilities for students juggling hectic schedules.
“We’re dealing with a system today that is broken,” he Professor Jacqueline Lipton is one of several Law Center professors
said. “We’re locking up way too many people that do not participating in virtual instruction, teaching Trademarks and Unfair
need to be incarcerated in jail or prison.” Competition Law and Digital Transactions Law via Internet. Lipton, Baker
Botts Professor of Law, said students have the option of attending the class in
“What the symposium taught is that criminal justice person, or from anywhere else via Zoom, a teleconferencing software.
stakeholders today can adopt best practices so as to
make their part of the process work effectively as part “Most students have tried attending at least one class remotely and over half of
of a larger system,” said Professor Sandra Guerra them attend most sessions remotely,” she said. “The advantage for them is that they
Thompson, director of the Criminal Justice Institute. can tune in from anywhere in Houston or anywhere else. It helps students who
“From policing to jail administration, we can make have family commitments, jobs or difficult commutes.”
fundamental changes in how we decide who to arrest The Law Center’s online upgrades are the result of a $100,000 technology
and what happens to those people once they enter the grant approved by Dr. Paula Myrick Short, Senior Vice Chancellor for
criminal justice system. The Sandra Bland tragedy Academic Affairs for the University of Houston System, and Senior Vice
stands as a stark reminder that the status quo simply President for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Houston. The
will not do.” Law Center will look to expand its digital capacities in the future, with the
Bland, 28, committed suicide in the Waller County jail potential for some classes that are exclusively online.
on July 13, 2015, three days after being arrested near “It is important to do more classes wholly online which will give students a
Prairie View University following a routine traffic different way of learning and more flexibility with their schedules,” said Dean
violation. Leonard M. Baynes.

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