Orange County-based law firm Rutan & Tucker, LLP, has renewed its annual $15,000 gift to Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law to support the school’s first year oral and written advocacy competition program. The generous contribution funds the annual award program that bears the firm’s name – The Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel Award (for best oral argument) and the Rutan & Tucker Golden Quill Award (for best brief).

The competition provides an opportunity for first year Fowler School of Law students to participate in a rigorous mock oral and written argument, building core advocacy and research skills. Students compete against each other before panels of volunteer judges consisting of sitting judges, practicing lawyers, professors and members of the law school’s Appellate Moot Court Board.

Since the creation of the award program, Rutan & Tucker has contributed $265,000 to the school’s advocacy programs.

See the 2015 Rutan & Tucker Golden Quill and Golden Gavel winners.

About Rutan & Tucker LLP

Rutan & Tucker is California’s largest full-service law firm headquartered in Orange County, California with offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include business and real estate litigation, corporate and securities law, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, municipal and government agency law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, as well as taxation and estate planning.

Above: (from left) Fowler School of Law Dean Tom Campbell, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Administration Jayne Kacer, Rutan & Tucker Managing Partner Steven A. Nichols, and Rutan & Tucker Partner Layne Melzer