The Richard Grand Closing Argument Competition was created through the vision of the late Richard Grand, a 1958 alumnus of University of Arizona Law.
In 1995, Grand conceived the idea of a competition which would emphasize jury arguments focusing on damages. He established such a competition at Arizona Law that continues to this day. Five finalists are selected from a preliminary round and then compete in a final round often judged by alumni who have previously won the competition. Those finalists receive monetary prizes.
About Richard Grand
The self-proclaimed "merchant of words" began his practice as a deputy county attorney. After that, his practice was limited to representing plaintiffs. On more than 100 occasions, he obtained either a verdict or settlement in excess of $1 million.
In 1972, Richard Grand founded the Inner Circle of Advocates, which is limited to 100 lawyers in the United States who have completed at least 50 personal injury trials and have at least three verdicts in excess of $1 million for compensatory damages. The Inner Circle still exists today.