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There can be only one. And last weekend in “Chicago,” the final 24 teams in the 2021 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition competed virtually to see who would take the title in this year’s moot court battle.

In the end, the team of Taylor Holley, Alicia Mpande, and Jay Evans from Texas Tech University School of Law emerged as the victors, defeating Belmont University College of Law on Saturday morning.

The topic for the 2020-2021 competition was the Civil Rights Law, framed in the context of a lawsuit regarding the First Amendment rights of a public employee, this year’s problem focuses on the qualified-immunity doctrine.

Here are the complete results:

Champion

Texas Tech University School of Law, Team 772
Taylor Holley, Alicia Mpande, and Jay Evans

National Finalists

Belmont University College of Law, Team 350
Josh Kleppin, Hannah Berny, and John Nix

National Semifinalists

University of California Berkeley School of Law, Team 239
Rose Garber, Madeeha Dean, and Benjamin Malings

Michigan State University College of Law, Team 487
Rachel Westmaas, Alana Ballantyne, and Alexander Numbers

National Quarterfinalists

Stetson University College of Law, Team 670
Frieda Lindroth, Toria Ryan, and Anya Pardy

University of Alabama School of Law, Team 836
Mollie Gillis, Robert Humphrey, and John Gillespie

Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 428
Caitlin Bailey, Christopher Collum, and Hayden Hanson

Washington and Lee University School of Law, Team 742
Matt Kaminer, Carson Cox, and Rich Gilliland

Regional Qualifiers

University of Oklahoma College of Law, Team 155
Modupe Adamolekun, Wyatt McGuire, Andrew Rader

Wake Forest University School of Law, Team 175
Katharine Batchelor, Kyle Brady, Mary Catherine Young

Campbell University – Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Team 183
Chelsey Wilson, Miriam Sheppard, Brandon Brower

University of Oklahoma College of Law, Team 194
Anamayan Narendran: Cameron Burleson, Elizabeth Hampton

University of California Berkeley School of Law, Team 239
Rose Garber, Madeeha Dean, Benjamin Malings

University of California Hastings College of the Law, Team 240
Gerardo Inzunza Higuera, Sara Zamani, Katie Molander-Scull

Pepperdine University School of Law, Team 257
Ashley Koos, David Portillo,

University of California Berkeley School of Law, Team 278
Jonathan Chacon, Kelsey Lobisser, Delaney Brooks

William and Mary Law School, Team 322
Corinne Cichowicz, Danielle Musselman, George Townsend

Belmont University College of Law, Team 350
Josh Kleppin, Hannah Berny, John Nix

Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 352: Nick Coyle, Shomari Smith, Allison Walter

Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 428
Caitlin Bailey, Christopher Collum, Hayden Hanson

Wayne State University Law School, Team 472
Benjamin Wu, Molly Moss, Mark Taylor Janssen

Michigan State University College of Law, Team 487
Rachel Westmaas, Alana Ballantyne, Alexander Numbers

Emory University School of Law, Team 531
Daniel Zozaya Brown, Alayna Trilling,

Michigan State University College of Law, Team 578
Charlie Clark, Lauren Legner, Brandon Paul Cross

Stetson University College of Law, Team 601
Jessica Merker, Christopher Gieger,

Stetson University College of Law, Team 670
Frieda Lindroth, Toria Ryan, Anya Pardy

George Washington University Law School, Team 726
Sophia Slade-Ilaria, James Heaney,

Washington and Lee University School of Law, Team 742
Matt Kaminer, Carson Cox, Rich Gilliland

Texas Tech University School of Law, Team 772
Taylor Holley, Alicia Mpande, Jay Evans

University of Alabama School of Law, Team 836
Robert Humphrey, John Gillespie, Mollie Gillis

Texas Tech University School of Law, Team 870
Sara Baumgardner, Sarah Jo Lambert, William Langford

Regent University School of Law, Team 964
Sarah Martz, Kelsey McGee, Francesca McManus

National Best Advocate

Tied for Ninth Place: Madeeha Dean, University of California Berkeley School of Law, Team 239 and Nick Coyle, Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 352.         

Eighth Place: Rose Garber, University of California Berkeley School of Law, Team 239

Seventh Place: Alana Ballantyne, Michigan State University College of Law, Team 487

Sixth Place: Allison Walter, Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 352

Fifth Place: John Nix, Belmont University College of Law, Team 350

Tied for Third Place: Caitlin Bailey, Washington University School of Law (St. Louis), Team 428 and Alexander Numbers, Michigan State University College of Law, Team 487

Second Place: Alicia Mpande, Texas Tech University School of Law, Team 772

First Place: Hannah Berny, Belmont University College of Law, Team 350

National Best Brief

Texas Tech University School of Law, Team 772
Taylor Holley, Alicia Mpande, and Jay Evans

2nd Place
Washington and Lee University School of Law
Matt Kaminer, Carson Cox, and Rich Gilliland

3rd Place
University of California Hastings College of the Law
Gerardo Inzunza Higuera, Sara Samani, and Katie Molander-Scull

4th Place
Wayne State University Law School
Benjamin Wu, Molly Moss, and Mark Taylor Janssen

5th Place
Belmont University College of Law
Josh Kleppin, Hannah Berny, and John Nix