The MSU-Detroit College of Law Moot Court Board is gearing up to host 14 law schools from around the nation in its first Trial Advocacy Competition, which is slated to be held Thursday through Sunday.
Trial Advocacy allows law students to take the skills they learn in the classroom and apply them to simulated court cases in a competitive atmosphere.
The Trial Advocacy program is one of two formats the teams follow. Matt McKone, a fourth-year law student and executive director of the Moot Court program at MSU-DCL, described Trial Advocacy as the traditional type of case most people probably think of when they hear the word “court.”
“It is what someone might see on TV - with two lawyers, a judge and a jury,” McKone said.
The MSU-DCL Moot Court team also participates in Appellate Advocacy competitions, where a court case has been appealed and has gone to a higher court, such as the Supreme Court. The competition features judges and attorneys arguing legal issues.
That event will feature a mock case where a person is convicted of involuntary manslaughter involving alcohol and a motor vehicle.
Grant Carlson, a fourth-year law student and director of competitions, said there will be three preliminary rounds, followed by semifinals and finals.
On Friday there will be cases from 9 a.m. to noon, and the semifinals and the finals will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Each team consists of four members that act as the defense or the prosecution. Carlson said students rotate between the defense and the prosecution every other case.
The sitting judges in the case will be state and federal court judges. The jury will be made up of trial attorneys from around the state, many of them coming from the Detroit area.
“The judging will not determine who would win the case,” Carlson said. “The teams will be judged on presentation, techniques, demeanor and how they handle themselves overall.”
Third-year law student Laura Silvestri said Trial Advocacy helps to develop her oral advocacy skills.
“It is important to be able to speak and express a point of view in a professional manner,” Silvestri said.
She also enjoys the experience as well as the valuable exposure outside of East Lansing.
“It’s fun,” Silvestri said.
“It’s kind of like the law school version of a sport.”
The event is open to the public. McKone says attending would be beneficial for someone who is a pre-law student or anyone who is interested in finding out how the court system works.
