Syracuse University College of Law has launched the Innovation in Advocacy Education Award, a first-of-its-kind award to encourage, support, and celebrate innovation in the field of advocacy education. The winner will receive $5,000 to create, support, or sustain their award-winning advocacy education innovation.
“The advocacy community, perhaps more than any other segment of legal education, is defined by innovation in action. Syracuse Law established this award to recognize those programs that keep adding to that tradition,” said Professor Todd Berger, Director of Advocacy Programs at Syracuse Law.
Below is the process of applying for the award:
*Any American law school may apply for the award (Syracuse is not eligible to receive the award). Schools that collaborate on joint initiatives may jointly apply for the award. The award and the award money will be given to the winning law school (not an individual).
*The award may be given to an existing innovation implemented in the past five years in the field of advocacy education, or a proposed innovation. Advocacy education encompasses the fields of trial advocacy, appellate advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution.
*The award will be selected by a committee composed of members of the broader advocacy education community.
*The application deadline is February 20th, 2026.
*The award application will consist of a description of an existing or proposed innovation in the field of advocacy education. The award application should total no more than 3,000 words and may include demonstrative exhibits. The application should describe how the innovation represents new ways of thinking and enhances the quality of advocacy education or otherwise benefits the larger advocacy education community. While not required, the application may describe how the award money will be used to support the innovation.
*The application can be found here: