UH Law Student Cara Post Named Overall Outstanding Advocate at National Competition
Oct. 1, 2026 – University of Houston Law Center second-year student Cara Post started the fall semester with a standout performance at the First Chair Trial Competition at Georgia State University College of Law.
Post was named the 2026 Overall Outstanding Advocate, while the UH Law team, made up of Post and 3L student Jaime Gutierrez, was recognized as “Most Professional Team,” after competing against teams from nine other law schools.
In addition to UH Law, the field included teams from Georgia State, Maryland Carey Law, Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, Texas Southern’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, South Texas College of Law, Mercer University School of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Campbell University School of Law and University of South Carolina Joseph F. School of Law.
The competition invites participating teams to send two of their top advocates. Judges select a top advocate during each round, with the competitor receiving the highest number of ballots earning the overall advocate recognition.
“I was honored to receive the award and grateful for all the work that my coaches, Judge Christine Weems and Laura Gomez Duarte, and teammate Jaime Gutierrez put into me,” Post said.
Post’s recognition comes during a strong year for UH Law’s Blakely Advocacy Institute Mock Trial Team, which ranked No. 11 nationally and No. 1 among Texas law schools in the 2025-2026 Gavel Rankings.
To prepare for the First Chair Trial Competition, Post and Gutierrez practiced nearly every day for about two weeks. Their coaches also arranged three scrimmages against other law schools working with the same competition problem.
Growing as an Advocate
For Post, participating in mock trial is not just about competing. It is preparation for a career in criminal defense, a path she began pursuing long before law school.
She first became interested in trial advocacy through mock trial in high school. After she won an award at a regional competition, Houston criminal defense attorney Chris Tritico encouraged her to consider law school.
“At that point I had no lawyers in my family and no idea where to start but I knew that I was interested,” Post said. She asked him for help in finding a job and, within two months, she was working at Houston criminal defense firm.
“I absolutely fell in love with the work and realized I was passionate about representing people’s rights,” Post said. “Since then, I haven’t looked back and have been sure that being a lawyer is the right path for me.”
She added to that initial experience by working as a mitigation specialist in Travis County and as a private investigator.
She chose UH Law for its location and reputation.
“Houston has some of the best trial lawyers in the country and criminal defense attorneys,” Post said. “The University of Houston has a wonderful reputation in the legal community and felt like the right fit.”
Her experience on UHLC’s Mock Trial team has reinforced that impression. Post credited much of her growth as an advocate to the attorneys and coaches who have invested their time in helping her develop her skills and personal style.
“Something I really appreciate about UH’s mock trial team is that they focus on helping you find your own voice,” Post said. “The goal isn’t to change us, but to allow us to perfect our own style in a way that jurors can appreciate and relate to.”
The Mock Trial team competes through the Blakely Advocacy Institute, which gives students opportunities to develop courtroom and advocacy skills through competition. Amy Hawk, executive director of the Blakely Advocacy Institute, said advocacy competitions help students sharpen critical thinking, persuasive communication, teamwork, confidence, poise and professionalism.
Advice
Post said students hoping to improve their own advocacy skills should be open to instruction and willing to take risks.
“The biggest piece of advice is to be teachable and willing to work hard,” Post said. “Failure is life’s greatest teacher, and if you are not willing to try things and be bad at them you will miss out on a lot of wonderful opportunities.”
She also encouraged students to take advantage of the time and guidance offered by attorneys and other legal professionals while they are in law school.
“I am a big believer that you only get out of something what you put into it,” Post said. “So, if you treat your advocacy programs like a non-priority, then you won’t gain the invaluable skills from them that you could have. [It’s] also important to remember that law school is one of the last times where professionals are willing to give you invaluable advice and their time for free. So, don’t squander it.”
