UH Law students Kadeem Richards and Jaime Gutierrez brought home the divisional championship title from the 2026 Mock Trial National Online Championship held over Zoom.
UH Law’s three-student team of Mariela Arreola, Claire Shelton and Lauren Graves won second place at the 15th Annual Health Law Regulatory and Compliance Competition.
Law Center students 2L Khale Hollomon, left, 2L Amaresh Adusumilli, center and 3L Jillian Luna, right, were quarter-finalists at the Tulane Baseball Arbitration Competition.
March 6, 2026 - Students trained by the University of Houston Law Center’s Blakely Advocacy Institute and Health Law and Policy Institute earned high honors across multiple national competitions.
UH Law students Kadeem Richards and Jaime Gutierrez won the divisional championship at the 2026 Mock Trial National Online Championship, held Feb. 27 to March 1. The online competition, conducted over Zoom, is co-hosted by Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, and UCLA School of Law. Organizers chose the online format to expand access to trial advocacy competitions for law schools nationwide, regardless of budget constraints.
In a separate event, the three-student team of Mariela Arreola, Claire Shelton and Lauren Graves placed second at the 15th Annual Health Law Regulatory and Compliance Competition, after going up against 14 schools. The teams were given 1.5 hours to analyze a new hypothetical fact pattern focused on healthcare compliance and to prepare two 20-minute presentations for panels of practicing health law attorneys.
In one presentation, the teams represented the interests of private healthcare stakeholders; in the other, they represented the interests of the federal government. This year's problem included issues related to antitrust, tax exemption, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, A.I., FDA, and research compliance.
The UHLC health law team was sponsored by Nichols Weitzner Thomas LLP, and coached by UHLC alumni Marissa Weitzner and Adam Peña, and Greg Flores. The competition was hosted by the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore in late February.
The Law Center’s ADR teams also posted strong performances:
At the William & Mary Negotiation Tournament in Williamsburg, Va., the Law Center’s advocates demonstrated exceptional skill in problem-solving and oral advocacy. The duo of 3L Ebun Ayannusi and 2L Nia Caldwell earned a second-place finish. Adding to the team’s success, 3L Lauren Bruce and 3L Natalie Cha advanced through the preliminary rounds to finish as semifinalists. Both teams were coached by UHLC ADR Team Director Megan Daic '13 and fellow alumna Trinity Buchanan '25.
A separate ADR contingent traveled to the Tulane Baseball Arbitration Competition in New Orleans. Competitors Jillian Luna (3L), Amaresh Adusumilli (2L), and Khale Hollomon (2L) navigated a specialized format modeled after Major League Baseball’s salary arbitration procedures. The team finished as quarterfinalists, guided by alumni coaches Hannah Sliva '25 and Tanner Jarrell '25.
Amy Hawk, Executive Director of the Blakely Advocacy Institute, noted that these results underscore the Law Center's commitment to practical legal training.
“These early successes for our teams in 2026 are a testament to the rigorous preparation by and adaptability of our students,” Hawk said. “Whether they are navigating the complexities of a professional sports salary dispute or finding common ground in a high-stakes negotiation, these competitions allow our students to showcase advocacy skills that bridge the gap between theory and practice. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and grateful to our dedicated alumni coaches who continue to give back to the advocacy program.”
Coach Trinity Buchanan '25, Lauren Bruce (3L), Ebun Ayannusi (3L), Natalie Cha (3L), and Nia Caldwell (2L), right, represented the University of Houston Law Center's Alternative Dispute Resolution team at the William & Mary Negotiation Tournament last month.
Third-year Law Center student Ebun Ayannusi, left, and second-year student Nia Caldwell, right, earned a second-place finish at the William & Mary Negotiation Tournament in Williamsburg, Va.
