Baylor Law Selects Newest 'Top Gun'

by Julie Carlson, director of communications, Baylor Law School, (254) 710-6681

Rory Brewton, a third-year Baylor law student from Houston, was named the Law School's "Top Gun" in the recent Wortham Top Gun contest. She defeated Sorana Ban in the three-hour final round.

The mini-trial competition, which is held twice a year, is a week-long contest that pits student against student to find the one with the best courtroom skills. The spring 2008 competition centered on a libel case, in which a Lithuanian man was suing a professor for naming him as a Nazi war criminal in a book. The winner is decided on advocacy skills, not the merit of the case. Brewton, who had approximately two weeks to prepare for the competition, represented the plaintiff in the final round.

"I love being in the courtroom," she said. "I chose to come to Baylor Law School because I wanted to practice in Texas and I wanted to be a litigator. After three years, I can say that I feel very prepared to practice. There is no better place for training in trial advocacy."

Brewton received her bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia. During law school, Brewton participated on three moot court teams and was named a Top 10 advocate at the 2007 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition and ranked in the top 10 speakers at the 2007 National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition. She will graduate from law school in August and has been hired by the Houston firm of Looper Reed & McGraw, P.C.

The Wortham Top Gun contest is generously funded by the Honorable Robert and Karen Wortham. The competition builds on the tradition of mini-trial competitions that were held during the tenure of Professor Emeritus Matt "Mad Dog" Dawson.

As the winner, Brewton received $3,000 and the coveted "Mad Dog," an 18-inch bronze statuette of the legendary Baylor law professor. She also will have her name and photo displayed on a wall plaque in the Law School. As a finalist, Ban will receive $1,000.