Bartlit Center Trial Team Wins Summit Cup

A team from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy won the Summit Cup championship, held at the University of Denver September 28-30.

The University of Denver’s Center for Advocacy hosted the leading teams from around the country. The Northwestern Law team of Emily Halter (JD’18), Brendan Gerdes (JD’18), Garrett Fields (JD’18), and Argie Mina (JD’19) went undefeated in an invitational field comprising the top 12 trial teams in the United States.

In the five rounds of competition, Northwestern defeated teams from Stetson Law School, Campbell University, the University of California, Davis, Florida State University, and American University.

In addition, Fields and Gerdes were named the two best advocates in the competition.

“Emily, Argie, Brendan and Garrett are among the best students we have ever had on our trial teams, including our national champions in 2011 and 2017,” said Rick Levin of Levin Riback Law Group, the team’s coach. “They are great students, great advocates, and great people.”

Steven Lubet, the Williams Memorial Professor of Law at Northwestern and director of the Bartlit Center, is the team’s advisor.

“Winning the Summit Cup was a terrific achievement for Rick Levin and our students, as it involved the 11 other schools with the best winning records from the past year,” Lubet said. “Of course, the most meaningful reward comes from the life-long skills our students acquire in the Bartlit Center program, but it is always great to win.”