SU’s undergraduate mock trial team cruises to victory in weekend AMTA tournament

SU’s undergraduate mock trial team cruises to victory in weekend AMTA tournamentFebruary 18, 2008Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s undergraduate Mock Trial Team A defeated a team fielded by Cornell University during the Finger Lakes Regional AMTA tournament hosted at SU last weekend, securing a direct bid for the SU team to the American Mock Trial Association’s (AMTA) National Championship Tournament in St. Paul, Minn., April 4-6.

In addition, four SU students received the highest individual awards presented at the regional tournament, and SU’s Mock Trial Team B received an honorable mention award. Twenty-two teams from 13 colleges and universities participated in the three-day tournament held Feb. 15-17. SU fielded two teams.

SU students who received individual awards were:

Michelle McClafferty, College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) junior: Outstanding Attorney Award, defense;

Alicja Borek, A&S junior: Outstanding Witness Award, prosecution;

Courtney Greenberg, A&S sophomore: Outstanding Witness Award, defense; and

Megan Brimmer A&S sophomore: Outstanding Witness Award, defense.

“SU had two outstanding teams in this past weekend’s Finger Lakes Tournament,” says Kandice Salomone, associate dean for administration in The College of Arts and Sciences. “We had the best showing ever in the program’s nine-year history.”

Coaches for the SU team are Kevin P. Kuehner J.D. ’99 and Robert G. Smith J.D. ’88, both practicing attorneys at Melvin and Melvin, PLLC in Syracuse; Carlos Hernandez of Syracuse, who participated in Mock Trial competitions while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland; and SU College of Law students Julia Joyce and Kristen Jones.

Along with SU, participating institutions were Amherst College, Binghamton University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Hamilton College, Siena College, the SUNY College at Buffalo, the SUNY College at Fredonia, the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester.

The SU Mock Trial Team is sponsored by the iLearn Program in The College of Arts and Sciences. Team members are selected and coached during the fall semester by SU alumni trial attorneys and compete in the spring round of AMTA-sponsored tournaments. Further information about the team is available on the Web at http://ilearn.syr.edu/pgm_mocktrial.htm