The Mock Trial Intramural Competition

This week saw the newest members of the Mock Trial Team go head to head against each other in an intramural competition. The contest is designed as a teaching mechanism to prepare the students for both future tournaments at other schools and for real trials later in their careers.

To get ready, the new members were largely taught by others on the team. Three 3L students and one recent graduate served as the coaches. They put in many hours training the new students on the basics of trial practice. Personally, I sat in on a couple of practices, and I also served as a "jury member" for two rounds of the competition.

The new guys are impressive. We have a good shot at winning some trophies this year, though I have also learned Mock Trial judging is so subjective that there is no way to predict outcomes with certainty.

Intramurals is the same type of competition that I went through last year, but it is much easier being on this side of it. I tried to give helpful feedback. At this stage, I think it is most important to build confidence in our new team members. We should make sure they know the skills to conduct a trial, but they should also believe that they can beat anyone who walks into the room. Attitude and charisma can sway a jury and dominate a trial, at least in my opinion. As Mr. Crump told me when I worked at his firm, "Give the jury popcorn and turn down the lights." A belief in your own abilities is essential to win a trial.

The President of the Mock Trial Team, Christian Cutillo, and the Intramural Chair, Corinne Koeppen, did a fantastic job in organizing the tournament and making sure things ran smoothly. Wayne Hogan, a prominent trial attorney and major benefactor of the law school and the Mock Trial Team, attended the reception and the championship round.

Congratulations to Tara Klimek, an outstanding 2L who won the "Best Advocate" award.

The intramural competition was a lot of fun and an important part of the Mock Trial Team experience. I enjoyed watching all the performances and seeing how hard everyone worked.

Once again, if I have used your name in this blog post and you want me to remove it, just Facebook me.

Until Next Time,

Nathan Marshburn