Jim Marrow (Problem Author and Partner, Wright Close Barger & Guzman), left, Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod (Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit), Regent University team members Diana Bloomquist, Eli El-Habr, and Emily Mayers, Hon. James E. Graves, Jr. (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit), and Hon. Scott A. Brister (Chief Justice, Fifteenth Court of Appeals, right, gather in the courtroom following the final round of the 2026 Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship, where the Regent team secured the national title.
Emily Mayers, Elie El-Habr, center, and Diana Bloomquist, right, of the Regent University School of Law hoist the trophy after their victory at the Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship, hosted by the University of Houston Law Center’s Blakely Advocacy Institute.
Feb. 16, 2026 — The University of Houston Law Center’s Blakely Advocacy Institute recently hosted the nation’s top moot court teams for the 2026 Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship. After three days of competition held January 29-31, Regent University School of Law won the championship, defeating Baylor University School of Law in the final round. The winning team included Regent Law students Diana Bloomquist, Elie El-Habr and Emily Mayers.
“The 2026 Hicks Thomas Moot Court National Championship exemplified the highest standards of appellate advocacy training,” said Amy Hawk, executive director of the Blakely Advocacy Institute. “Competitors in this elite, invitation-only championship sharpened their analytical thinking, oral advocacy, and professionalism while matching wits with some of the nation’s most talented law students. Winning on this national stage demonstrates that these exceptional advocates are prepared to excel in the courtroom and in the legal profession.”
The team from Regent Law completed an undefeated run through the tournament. Their path to the title included preliminary round victories over the University of Georgia, SMU, NYU, and Seton Hall. They subsequently defeated UCLA in the quarterfinals and the University of Kansas in the semifinals.
The competition, sponsored by the Houston-based litigation firm Hicks Thomas LLP, is designed to provide students with realistic appellate experience, testing their ability to argue complex legal issues before panels of experienced judges and practitioners.
This year’s invitation-only field included the following 16 teams:
