The honor is UT-Knoxville's second national award this month. No. 1 in the nation by a textiles journal. The Gumpert award is given annually by the ACTL to a law school in the United States or Canada deemed to have achieved a superior level of excellence in the teaching of trial advocacy. There are 178 U.S. law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. The UT Legal Clinic, founded in 1947, is the oldest continually operating clinic in the United States.
Students receive hands-on training in criminal and civil advocacy and mediation techniques.
Just recently, the college adopted a new concentration in advocacy and dispute resolution that uses advanced teaching methods and technology to train students in the full range of techniques for solving disputes. UT moot court teams have twice won the ABA national competition and in 1993 captured the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers' trial competition. Founded in 1950, the American College of Trial Lawyers is a national honorary organization that limits membership to outstanding U.S. and Canadian trial lawyers with more than 15 years of experience. Total membership cannot exceed 1 percent of the practicing attorneys in each state or province and candidates for membership must be nominated by state and province committees and approved by the ACTL's board of regents.