The future of a heart attack victim's insurance policy will be decided this weekend in the MSU College of Law building - at least 30 different times.

Starting today, the law school is hosting the National Trial Advocacy Competition, a three-day tournament that pits 20 teams of four law school students from universities across the nation against each other in three rounds of competition.

"This is a way to get students ready for real life practice," said Sara Presler-Hoefle, the National Trial Advocacy Competition director. "This is like a real trial - the students go through the motions, like objections and cross-examination."

Each round lasts three hours. In the first two hours each side will be the defendant or plaintiff for half of the time. In the third hour, each team is randomly assigned a side. The judges will offer feedback at the end of the round.

"We bring in attorneys and judges from across Michigan," Presler-Hoefle said. "We have a reputation as one of the best run competitions around."

Attorney and law college alumnus S. Nicholas Frontczak, who will serve as a judge on Friday and Saturday, said preparation is key in trying a successful case.

"There's an old law adage that says you shouldn't ask a question you don't already know the answer to," Frontczak said. "Students need to show their preparation by asking precise questions and show their knowledge of the facts."

This is the fifth year MSU has hosted the competition. The student-run Moot Court Board organizes the event and creates the case.

"Last January, part of the Moot Court had to come up with the whole trial," Presler-Hoefle said. "I worked with two other people to create a problem, evidence, depositions - everything you need for a real trial."

Because the law school is hosting the event, an MSU team does not compete. However, last year, because of an uneven number of teams, an MSU team was assembled as a "shadow team," to go through the rounds with other teams as if actually competing.

"The way to become an effective litigator is to present a coherent, persuasive story," said Caroline Dyck, director of the Moot Court Board and member of last year's team. "By throwing you into the deep end and forcing you to master those skills - it's something that will shape your career."

Participants will try a civil case about a man's insurance policy that is rescinded after he has a heart attack. In last year's criminal trial, a police officer was charged after killing a drug dealer.

"The trials we create are based on real trials," Presler-Hoefle said. "We change the facts a little and develop new evidence and depositions, but the concepts are the same."

Audience members include practicing attorneys, alumni and judges, but the trials are open to anyone interested in attending.