A news article by Andy Hagenbush, 2L
The GSU College of Law's Michigan State Mock Trial team does not move on to finals, but GSU’s Sam Nicholson’s individual performance garners top honor.
During the weekend of October 8th to October 11th, GSU, along with 25 other teams, competed for the championship at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan. Attorneys Sam Nicholson and Blake Staten, with witnesses Casey Viggiano and Eric Coffelt, and Coaches Cheryl Champion-White and Tom Jones represented the College of Law in the National Trial Advocacy competition.
The team had less than a month to prepare for the competition, but they represented Georgia State well against difficult judges and unfavorable rulings. Georgia State may have had the most difficult line—up as each of their first round adversaries- Georgetown, Valparaiso, and Fordham—all advanced to the final round. Although GSU did not advance to the finals, where Alabama beat Houston for the trophy, attorney Sam Nicholson walked away with the “best advocate award.”
Sam Nicholson, 3L, earned the trophy by having the best overall performance. From opening to closing, direct and cross, the Michigan judges agreed that Sam’s was the best of dozens of attorney performances at the competition.
Including Michigan State, STLA will have competed in four competitions by the end of Fall 2009 semester with two more competitions in the spring.
Be sure to check back with The Docket Online for STLA, Mock Trial, and all other GSU College of Law competition updates.
If you or a fellow law student participate in a competition and you would like to share your experience, please contact The Docket News Editor so we can honor our classmates' performances.
UPDATE: November 9, 2009: Over the weekend, STLA's Matt Ramsey, 3L, placed 3rd in the 2009 Keenan Kids Closing Argument Competition. Out of twenty students, representing four schools, Matt won $300 for his closing argument on a fact pattern involving an injured child.
Matt not only placed, but managed to do so while preparing for his upcoming mock trial competition this Friday in Buffalo New York.
In order to more adequately train future lawyers for advocacy on children’s damage issues, The Keenan Kids Foundation created an annual competition to spread awareness of the legal complexities involving injured and maimed children.
(Robert Bexley and Will Smith contributing)
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