MOCK TRIAL Mock Trial Wins Second At National Competition By Amanda McGrath Hoya Staff Writer

In its best finish to date, the Georgetown Mock Trial team placed first in its division at the American Mock Trial Association’s national competition. With a record of 7-1 following its loss to University of Iowa in the championship round, the team placed second in the nation overall.

“It’s by far our highest showing,” President of Mock Trial and team captain Grant Garber (SFS ’02) said. “Our goal was to finish in the top ten. We’re more than excited; we’re just in awe. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to get to the national championship round.”

Mock Trial Treasurer Chiara Spector (COL ’02) said that although they were confident going into the competition, the win was a big surprise for the Georgetown team, which she said is handicapped by minimal university support. Spector said teams like University ofMaryland, one of the top competitors in the region, have the benefit of multiple coaches, budgets of tens of thousands of dollars and classes geared especially for mock trial competition.

“We’ve done it all ourselves with funding from [Students Activities Commission] that is in no way comparable to [other teams’] budgets,” Spector said. “We’re not as polished as a lot of the teams we see, but we’re a really smart team, probably because we don’t have a coach and we do it on our own.” According to Garber, the team develops their own unique strategies for each trial and without the guidance of a coach, they work overtime to keep improving.

Garber said the team hoped their success would gain recognition from the university. “It’s about success breeding success. When we told [other teams] we didn’t have a coach, they were shocked. I think that says a lot about the quality and dedication of the students,” he said. “I hope the faculty and administration start to pay attention – we’ve done all we can do to earn that respect.”

According to Spector, the final championship round draws the largest crowd of the competition, one composed heavily of coaches and judges. She said she felt the team’s performance at the competition proved the merits of those involved and hoped it would help them win the attention of a potential future coach, something they have been trying to recruit for a long time.

The National Championship of Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament, held April 5 to 7 in Des Moines, Iowa, consists of the top 64 teams out of over 400 colleges and universities that compete in 20 regional tournaments held across the country. The eight member Georgetown Gold Flight team advanced to the national level after placing second at the Eastern Regional Tournament held in arch.

Six members from each team participate in each tournament, three as attorneys and three as witnesses. The team prepares both sides of a given trial – for the national competition, a murder trial, based on affidavits, evidence and other documents. Team member Jo-Leo Carney-Waterton (SFS ’02) won the All-American Witness award, an honor presented to the top ten witnesses in the competition.

Spector said the team was announced as the first place finisher in their division at a commemorative banquet and won a trophy, individual plaques – and pride.

“It’s a really big honor to have come this far, to have all of our work recognized,” Spector said. “It’s definitely a pride thing. It’s the first time that Georgetown has appeared in the top ten at nationals, and I think it is an indication for the future of the team.”

The six competing members in the championship round were a mix of new members and seasoned veterans. The three attorneys were underclassmen – Tyler Brown (COL ’04), Adam Harris (SFS ’04) and Kimmie Lipscomb (SFS ’05). They were supported by the experienced seniors of the team, participating in their last competition, in the roles of witnesses. “For the four seniors on the team, spending the last three hours of our mock trial careers on the floor for the national championship was amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Garber said.