Texas Tech Law Leads Nation with Three Academic All-American Advocates

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | MAY 19, 2026

Texas Tech University School of Law once again stands alone nationally in advocacy excellence.

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), making Texas Tech Law the only law school in the country with honorees in all three advocacy disciplines: appellate advocacy, dispute resolution, and trial advocacy.

The recognition continues an extraordinary run for Texas Tech Law’s nationally acclaimed advocacy program. In 2025, Caleb Kunde '25 earned Academic All-American Appellate Advocate honors during the award’s inaugural year. One year later, Texas Tech Law now leads the nation with three honorees in a single class.

The award recognizes law student advocates who excel in competition, academics, leadership, and service.

All three students are members of Texas Tech Law Review and the Board of Barristers, further reflecting the combination of academic excellence, leadership, and advocacy success that helped distinguish them nationally.

For Director of Advocacy Programs Professor Rob Sherwin, the recognition reflects both the extraordinary work ethic of the students and the depth of Texas Tech Law’s advocacy culture.

“It’s going to be really hard to replace these students, but I think they’ve set a bar for what a Tech Law advocate should be: not just incredible in the courtroom, but in the classroom as well. They are elite in every sense of the word, and they really represent how well-rounded our program is.

Sherwin noted that each law school could nominate only one student per discipline, and many schools struggled to identify even a single student who met the award’s demanding qualifications. Texas Tech Law, meanwhile, had multiple qualified candidates in every category.

“We’re not just a moot court school, or a mock trial school, or an ADR school,” Sherwin said. “We have a program that emphasizes it all.”

And this year’s honorees certainly proved it.

All three students were also inducted into the National Order of the Barristers, the highest honor awarded to student advocates, in recognition of excellence in advocacy.

Berry, recognized in dispute resolution, was both a national champion and national finalist in negotiation competitions. But she also earned national finalist honors and runner-up Best Advocate recognition at the National Moot Court Competition, arguably the country’s most prestigious appellate advocacy tournament.

For her, the recognition reflects the countless hours and experiences that shape a law student’s journey both inside and outside the classroom.

“It 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.”

Behnke, honored in appellate advocacy, built one of the most accomplished advocacy resumes in the country during her time at Texas Tech Law. She helped lead Texas Tech Law to national championships at the National Pretrial Advocacy Competition at Stetson University College of Law and the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition in West Virginia, earning Best Oralist honors at both. She was further recognized as the regional Best Advocate and finished as a national runner-up at the National Moot Court Competition in New York City. And this past spring, she won a regional championship at the National Trial Competition, making her one of just a handful of students to ever make it to the national finals of both that tournament and the National Moot Court Competition.

For Behnke, appellate advocacy became one of the defining parts of her law school experience.

“Appellate advocacy became one of the most meaningful parts of my experience at Texas Tech Law because it challenged me intellectually while also pushing me to become a more confident advocate,” Behnke said. “Being recognized nationally is especially rewarding because it highlights not only our individual achievements, but also the strength of Texas Tech Law’s advocacy program and the success our teams have had competing against the best in the country.”

Behnke also credited the mentorship and support she found throughout the program, particularly from Professor Rob Sherwin.

“Professor Sherwin’s coaching abilities are simply unmatched,” Behnke said. “But more than that, he has poured so much time, energy, and heart into me—not just as my coach, but as a mentor who genuinely cares about my growth as a young adult and future attorney.”

Fisher, selected for his excellence in trial advocacy, was part of that same championship-winning pretrial team that captured Texas Tech Law’s 57th national advocacy championship. The team swept every judge’s ballot across six rounds and earned the tournament’s Best Overall Brief award.

“For us, selecting nominees was no easy task because we had multiple candidates in each discipline,” Sherwin said. “Fortunately, the committee recognized the incredible accomplishments of all three of our nominees, and we’re proud to stand as the only school in the country with three All-Americans.”

For Fisher, the recognition reflects both the opportunities and support he found throughout his time at Texas Tech Law.

“It is such an honor to be recognized by NALAE,” Fisher said. “One of the things that has made the biggest difference in my law school experience is how supportive the faculty at Texas Tech Law have been—both in the classroom and in advocacy competitions. Their investment in students is something that truly sets this program apart.”

Fisher also credited Texas Tech Law’s emphasis on early advocacy involvement, along with the teammates and mentors who helped shape his growth as an advocate.

“Having the opportunity to compete in advocacy as a 1L completely changed the trajectory of my law school experience,” Fisher said. “Working alongside Professor Sherwin and our championship pretrial team pushed me to grow tremendously as both an advocate and teammate. Those experiences helped solidify my desire to pursue litigation and are something I’ll carry with me long after law school.”

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