Mock Trial and Mock Interviews

This past weekend, Florida State College of Law hosted the Southeast Regional of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) competition. 22 teams came in for the event, and two advanced to the National Finals in San Antonio- Samford University and Ole Miss.

The Mock Trial team's faculty advisor, Ruth Stone and the team president, Gennifer Powell, both visibly worked hard to make everything run smoothly. I'm sure there were others on the team behind the scenes who also worked to make this a success.

I volunteered for all the rounds and received the opportunity to be a bailiff/timekeeper for most of the competition, including the championship round. The teams' methods were fascinating, and I learned a lot by watching their styles and interaction with the judges.

So, the weekend was extremely busy. I was at the Leon County Courthouse late Friday evening and at 8 am on Saturday and Sunday, working all day.

Then on Monday, FSU College of Law hosted the Board of Visitors. The board consists mainly of prominent College of Law alumni who are actively involved with the law school. As part of the event, I participated in fictional five minute job interviews with the board members. It was a great learning experience, and hopefully I made a good impression.

I dressed in a grey suit with a black dress shirt and red tie for the event. One of the things I learned, however, is that I should always wear a white dress shirt. As one trial lawyer told me, a white dress shirt indicates that you are part of the profession. Once you become known in the community and in the courts, he said, then you can wear a colored shirt- but even then the collar always has to be white.

The lawyer said he did not like this restriction because he thought of himself as a maverick, but he told me that I must always remember that this profession is a conservative one.

A great thing about FSU College of Law is the number of opportunities and experiences relevant to a legal career that are presented to you here- if you are willing to work hard, hustle and prepare yourself when such chances come around.

Until Next Time,

Nathan Marshburn