The ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Mock Trial program will compete against 24 other teams from 18 universities in the American Mock Trial Association Opening Round Championship Tournament in Easton, Pennsylvania on March 13-15, 2009. Fresh off of their 5th place finish in the Chapel Hill Regional in early February, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ looks to continue its run in AMTA’s postseason this coming weekend. ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s team consists of seven students from all majors and departments. This will be the fifth tournament of the season for ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Mock Trial.
Among the teams in competition will be Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University and Pennsylvania State University. The field also includes 2006 and 2007 National Champion, University of Virginia.
ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Mock Trial looks to carry forward the momentum from Chapel Hill and earn a bid to the AMTA National Championship Tournament for the first time in the teams history. In order to qualify, the team must place within the top 6 teams in the tournament.
ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Mock Trial has been competing in AMTA since 2003. The team of undergraduate students has been preparing since the beginning of the academic year, meeting two and three times a week for more two hours at a time. The team uses the same case all year. The case this year is a defamation suit between a candidate for governor, Drew Walton in the ficticious state of Midlands and the Blitz News Network (BNN). BNN accused Walton of murder live on national TV. Walton subsequently lost the election and has now filed suit for damages.
The ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students that will be competing this weekend at the Northhampton County Justice Center are: Lauren Nichols ’09, Allison Carter ’09, Amanda Haefner ’09, Amanda Morrissey ’10, Kate Hopkins ’10, Carolyn Baumgarten ’11 and Jon Keller ’11.
The team is coached and accompanied by William Warihay, a second year law student at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ School of Law and associate of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Center for Law and Humanities, and Matrice Williams, an adjunct political science professor.
For more information on ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Mock Trial, please visit the web site listed to the right of this page.