Texas Tech is the only university to have honorees in all three advocacy disciplines set by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators.
Summary:
Texas Tech University School of Law has solidified its reputation as the nation’s top advocacy program after three third-year students – Rachel Behnke, Lauren Berry and Derek Fisher – were named 2026 Academic All-American Advocates by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators. Texas Tech is now the only law school in the nation with honorees spanning all three advocacy disciplines – appellate advocacy, dispute resolution and trial advocacy – highlighting the breadth and sustained excellence of its nationally recognized program.
Why This Matters:
- National Leadership: Texas Tech Law’s achievement reinforces its standing as the premier advocacy program in the country, demonstrating success across every major area of legal competition and training.
- Student Excellence: The recognition honors not only courtroom performance, but also academic achievement, leadership and service, showing the program develops well-rounded legal professionals.
- Reputation and Recruitment: National honors and championship success strengthen Texas Tech Law’s reputation, helping attract top students, faculty and future opportunities in the legal field.
Texas Tech University’s School of Law has once again distinguished itself as the nation’s premier advocacy program. Three third-year students – Rachel Behnke, Lauren Berry and Derek Fisher – have been named 2026 Academic All-American Advocates by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators (NALAE). The honor recognizes law student advocates who demonstrate excellence across competition, academics, leadership and service.
This makes Texas Tech the only law school in the country with honorees in all three advocacy disciplines: appellate advocacy, dispute resolution and trial advocacy.
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- Derek Fisher
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- Lauren Berry
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- Rachel Behnke
Behnke, Berry and Fisher are members of Texas Tech Law Review and the Board of Barristers, a combination that demonstrates the program’s emphasis on producing advocates who excel not only in the courtroom but in the classroom. All three students were also inducted into the National Order of the Barristers, the highest honor awarded to student advocates at the national level.
For Rob Sherwin, the Champions in Advocacy Endowed Professor of Law, this accomplishment reflects both the students’ extraordinary dedication and the culture of excellence that has been built over the years.
“It’s going to be really hard to replace these students, but I think they’ve set a bar for what a Texas Tech Law advocate should be: not just incredible in the courtroom, but in the classroom as well,” Sherwin said. “They are elite in every sense of the word, and they really represent how well-rounded our program is.”
Behnke built one of the most accomplished advocacy resumes in the country during her time at Texas Tech. She led the school to national championships at the National Pretrial Advocacy Competition and the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, earning best oralist at both. She says appellate advocacy became one of the most meaningful parts of her experience at Texas Tech Law, as it challenged her intellectually while also growing her confidence.
Berry was recognized in dispute resolution and was a national champion and national finalist in negotiation competitions.
“This embodies all the hours we’ve put into our degrees,” Berry said. “From classroom to courtroom and everything in between. This award recognizes the fact that a law degree is so much more than a stack of casebooks and cold calls.”
Fisher was selected for his excellence in trial advocacy but also was part of the same championship-winning pretrial team that captured the school’s 57th national advocacy championship. Fisher credits Texas Tech Law’s emphasis on early advocacy involvement. Students are competing as early as their first year in law school, laying a foundation to grow in the years ahead.
Sherwin points to what this moment signals about the breadth of Texas Tech Law’s advocacy identity, one that resists being defined by a single discipline.
“We’re not just a moot court school, or a mock trial school, or an ADR school,” he said. “We have a program that emphasizes it all.”
That approach has produced results. Texas Tech’s School of Law now leads the nation with three honorees from a single graduating class, continuing what has been an extraordinary run of success for its advocacy program.
“This recognition reflects something special about who our students become during their time at Texas Tech Law,” said Dean Jack Wade Nowlin. “Rachel, Lauren and Derek have excelled, and this honor reflects both their extraordinary dedication as well as the faculty and alumni who help shape their experience.
“Professor Sherwin has built a culture that challenges students to pursue excellence across disciplines and develop into complete advocates. Being the only law school in the nation with honorees across all three advocacy disciplines is a remarkable achievement, and we are incredibly proud of these students.”
About Texas Tech School of Law
The Texas Tech School of Law was founded in 1967 with its first class boasting 72 students. The American Bar Association granted accreditation to the school in 1970. Since its first class, the school has graduated more than 8,800 students, including the first woman to head a major federal-law enforcement agency, the U.S. Army’s highest-ranking legal officer, elected officials and some of the nation’s top litigators.
