{"id":18894,"date":"2025-10-23T15:29:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=18894"},"modified":"2025-10-23T15:29:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:29:36","slug":"wilmu-law-students-shine-in-national-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/23\/wilmu-law-students-shine-in-national-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"WilmU Law Students\u00a0Shine in National Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading18894_755332-a1\"]{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading18894_755332-a1\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading18894_755332-a1\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading18894_755332-a1 wu-subheading wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading18894_755332-a1\">This year marked the University\u2019s first entry into trial competitions, and its success signals strong momentum for the School of Law as it continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:371px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a figure{max-width:371px;}.kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a .image-is-svg, .kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18894_c53bf2-2a wu-pattern-non-featured-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-350x480.jpg\" alt=\"Associate Law Professor Veronica Finkelstein\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18897\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-350x480.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-182x250.jpg 182w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-768x1052.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-1121x1536.jpg 1121w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048-1494x2048.jpg 1494w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20230208-MUGS-Law-Veronica_Finkelstein-048.jpg 1582w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><figcaption><em><span style=\"color: #808080\"><em><strong><em>Associate Law Professor Veronica J. Finkelstein competed in and later coached national moot court teams.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/law.wilmu.edu\/index.aspx\">Wilmington University School of Law<\/a> received national recognition after earning a top award at the inaugural Chapman Challenge Trial Competition held in California. Hosted by the Chapman University Fowler School of Law, the contest brought together 11 teams in a trial advocacy format focused on real-time performance and strategy. Teams litigated a fictional intellectual property case in which a deceased singer\u2019s estate claimed a record label used AI to replicate her voice and likeness on a posthumous album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WilmU law students <strong>Xavier Hurt<\/strong> and <strong>Genesis Joma<\/strong> represented the School of Law, coached by Associate Professor of Law <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/law.wilmu.edu\/faculty\/veronica-finkelstein.aspx\">Veronica J. Finkelstein<\/a><\/strong>. They joined forces with two peers from St. Mary\u2019s University School of Law in Texas to form a hybrid team \u2014 the only one of its kind and the only group competing from outside California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facing off against established programs such as UCLA and Pepperdine, the hybrid team held its own throughout the competition. In a standout moment, Wilmington\u2019s Hurt was awarded Best Opening Statement of the entire competition, surpassing 47 other students for the honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year marked the University\u2019s first entry into trial competitions, and its success signals strong momentum for the School of Law as it continues to grow, Finkelstein says. \u201cAdvocacy competitions are an important part of the law school experience. They provide an opportunity for law students to take the skills they\u2019ve learned in the classroom and practice them in a realistic setting that mimics what they\u2019ll experience in practice. Competitions are also a lot of fun, and we had a wonderful time at Chapman, thanks to our excellent teammates from St. Mary\u2019s.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She speaks from experience. Finkelstein was a nationally competitive advocate in law school, representing Emory University School of Law in the National Moot Court and Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competitions. A seasoned litigator and educator, she spent most of her career as an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in Philadelphia before joining Wilmington University full-time. Known for her passion for teaching, Finkelstein brings real-world courtroom experience into the classroom, helping to guide and inspire a new generation of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0 <em>\u2014 Maria Hess<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-height: 114px;}.wu-text-col &gt; div,.wu-img-col &gt; div {\tflex: 1;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id18046_b8b324-45 alignnone FULL wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}.kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 figure.image-is-svg {-webkit-margin-after: 1em;  margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18046_74cd32-05 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image18046_ccb11d-1f:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image18046_ccb11d-1f.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image18046_ccb11d-1f .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18046_ccb11d-1f image-is-svg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"230\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/wilmu-cta-logo-wu.svg\" alt=\"Wilm U post footer logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-17727\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18046_24d7f6-da kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin\" style=\"font-size:1rem\"><em>Want to read more in-depth stories? Explore our latest <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/category\/magazine\/\">magazine articles<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year marked the University\u2019s first entry into trial competitions, and its success signals strong momentum for the School of Law as it continues to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[1059,14,39,15],"class_list":["post-18894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine","tag-magazine-fall-2025","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmington-university-school-of-law","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1059,"label":"Magazine Fall 2025"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":39,"label":"Wilmington University School of Law"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wilmington-University-Hurt-Joma-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"alyssa","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/alyssa\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":431,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":431,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":1059,"name":"Magazine Fall 2025","slug":"magazine-fall-2025","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1616,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":27,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":39,"name":"Wilmington University School of Law","slug":"wilmington-university-school-of-law","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":596,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":39,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":291,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18978,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18894\/revisions\/18978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}