As Charleston School of Law continues its 20th Anniversary, another historic event was recorded at the Law School over the weekend when the first-ever Charleston Court-Martial Challenge was held on campus.
The trial competition, hosted by the Charleston Law Trial Advocacy program and the U.S. Coast Guard, attracted eight law schools from seven states (South Carolina, Alabama, Nevada, Florida, New York, Texas, North Carolina) and Washington, D.C. Over the course of three days, 32 student-advocates argued 19 trials before more than 30 J.A.G. Officers from four military branches (U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army). With the support and coordination efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, the J.A.G. Officers travelled from across the nation to serve as presiding and scoring judges.
On Sunday, the final round of the competition was held at the Charleston Municipal Courthouse, where Fordham School of Law was announced as the winner of the 2025 Charleston Court-Martial Challenge in a close round against Howard University School of Law. In addition, Fordham School of Law student Jack Biddle was awarded Best Advocate of the final round. He was presented with a special U.S. Coast Guard Office of the Chief Prosecutor challenge coin to recognize his excellence as a litigator.
The Charleston Court-Martial Challenge presents students with the unique opportunity to try an authentic court-martial case file according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Military Rules of Evidence (MRE). Students are introduced not only to the law and practice of the military courts but also to the active–duty J.A.G. Officers who try and preside over these type of cases in our nation’s military courts every day.
“Charleston Law and our Trial Advocacy program were honored to host this first-ever mock court-martial competition,” said Professor Suzanne Chapman, Director of the Charleston Law Trial Advocacy program. “We want to thank all of the participating schools, the many civilian and J.A.G. volunteers, and the U.S. Coast Guard for making this inaugural competition such a spectacular success. We are already looking forward to hosting it again next year.”
“Our judge advocates were thrilled to be a part of putting this event together, giving top-notch law students a chance to see what careers in military justice and service to the Nation look like up close,” said Rear Admiral Bill Dwyer, the Coast Guard’s Chief Prosecutor. “This is a textbook example of the collaborative partnership we enjoy with Charleston Law.”
The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.
The United States Coast Guard’s mission as a military service in the Department of Homeland Security is to protect, defend, and save people and property in the U.S. Maritime Transportation System. The Coast Guard’s service motto is Semper Paratus, which means “Always Ready.” The Coast Guard’s eleven statutory missions include search and rescue, law enforcement, environmental protection, and facilitating safe maritime commerce.
In Charleston, which is a major operational hub for the Coast Guard, J.A.G.s serve at the Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP) and in leadership roles at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA). The OCP is the Coast Guard’s only prosecution office, handling military justice matters across the entire service. The MLEA trains Coast Guard law enforcement officers in a variety of curricula at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Both the OCP and MLEA host numerous law student externs throughout the summer and academic year.
The Charleston School of Law will host a virtual Q&A with current students on Tuesday, March 18 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Mental Health First Aid training will be on Friday March 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 220.
