– Photo courtesy of Wayne Law
Wayne State University Law School students (left to right) Lena Pantely, John Scott Buell and Alexander Kemp teamed up to win one of two semifinalist spots in regional rounds of the National Trial Competition. The group, along with a team from Michigan State University College of Law, will advance to the national rounds in Houston. For additional photos, visit law.wayne.edu/trialregional2015.
Wayne State University Law School claimed one of two top spots in a regional round of the National Trial Competition.
Ten law schools from Michigan and Ohio (Region 7) each sent two teams to participate in the event, which was hosted Feb. 6-8 by Wayne Law at the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in downtown Detroit.
The winning Wayne Law team of students John Scott Buell, Alexander Kemp, and Lena Pantely will advance to the national competition March 11-15 in Houston. The national competition, hosted this year by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, will bring together regional semifinalists from all 14 regions.
Wayne Law’s other team – students Deborah Johnson Germany and Marcy West – lost by a slim margin to the Michigan State University College of Law team of Aaron Chapman and Katie Oberer in the regional competition’s final round. The MSU team also will advance to nationals.
The 20 teams battled through five rounds in a mock trial, trying a fictional domestic violence case as both the prosecution and counsel for the defendant.
The regional competition was organized under the leadership of Wayne Law Director of Clinical Education David Moss.
“The competition gives students experience with all aspects of trial practice, from delivering opening statements and impeaching the credibility of witnesses to thinking on their feet and establishing rapport with the jury,” Moss said.
Some 325 to 350 people played a role in the competition, including more than 140 lawyers and judges presiding over trials and evaluating the teams’ performances, as well as more than 140 law students, undergraduate students, community college students and community residents serving as witnesses and timekeepers.
“The judges were thoroughly and justifiably impressed with Wayne Law’s student competitors. I overheard them complimenting our teams repeatedly,” said team coach Gregory Wix, a partner at Bashore, Green, & Wix in Shelby Township.
