The competition, held this year on February 5-7, 2015, at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona, is designed to introduce minority law students to the practice of media law and to many media law bar lawyers.

Students who advance to the quarter-final round are paired with a practicing media law attorney for career advice and mentoring during the competition.

Jackson Walker partners Chip Babcock and Nancy Hamilton have also served as a mentor for the competition in previous years.

John Edwards, an AV-rated attorney, represents clients in complex commercial and tort-based litigation (trial and appellate in both state and federal courts), with emphasis in the areas of government procurement and access, managed care litigation, employment, and First Amendment and free speech rights. For over 17 years, John has represented broadcast and print media companies in a wide variety of areas implicating the First Amendment, including defense of defamation and related speech-based claims, obtaining media access to government documents and court proceedings under state open court and public information laws, and defending against civil and criminal subpoenas issued to members of the media