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                                                                  H.R. No. 2058



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Baylor Law School won first place at the Association 
of Trial Lawyers of America's National Student Trial Advocacy 
Competition, which was held in West Palm Beach, Florida, April 
7-10, 2005; and
	WHEREAS, The ATLA sponsors the annual nationwide mock trial 
competition in order to inspire excellence in trial advocacy by 
offering law students the opportunity to develop and practice 
advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench; 
open to law schools throughout the country, the competition 
involves civil cases that usually deal with product liability, 
personal injury, or medical malpractice and negligence issues; 
teams are judged on their skills in case preparation, opening 
statements, use of facts, the examination of lay and expert 
witnesses, and closing arguments; and
	WHEREAS, Competition began on the regional level in February 
when 223 teams from 138 law schools, including 16 teams from nine 
Texas law schools, vied for a spot in the national contest; and
	WHEREAS, The four members of the winning Baylor group are 
Paul Bailiff, a native of Houston and a May 2005 graduate currently 
practicing with an area law firm; Robert Little, Jr., from Sherman, 
who is in his final year of law school and is an alumnus of Baylor's 
political science program; Meredith Black-Matthews, a second-year 
law student from Dallas who also holds an undergraduate degree from 
Baylor; and Gabriel Head, another second-year law student and a 
graduate of Southwest Texas State University, where he earned his 
bachelor's and master's degrees in history; and
	WHEREAS, The Baylor team benefited from the guidance of its 
head coach, Professor Jeremy Counseller, along with Professor 
Gerald Powell and recent graduate Eric Porterfield; Professor 
Counseller credited the victory to the students' long hours of 
preparation and their command of the law of evidence and procedure; 
and
	WHEREAS, Recently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as 
having the sixth best advocacy program in the nation, Baylor Law 
School has enjoyed a tradition of success in the ATLA competition; 
in 2003 and 2004, Baylor students won third place, and teams from 
the Waco law school also won first and second places in the regional 
contest in 2004; and
	WHEREAS, With their hard work and determination, the members 
of the Baylor team have brought great credit to themselves and to 
their school, and this important national championship solidifies 
the institution's reputation as one of the preeminent law schools 
in the country; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby congratulate Baylor Law School for its 
first-place win at the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's 
2005 National Student Trial Advocacy Competition and extend to the 
mock trial team members sincere best wishes for success in all their 
future endeavors; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the school as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.

                                                                          Hughes
                                                                          Paxton

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 2058 was adopted by the House on May 
26, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House