Mock Trial Attends Competition
4/10/2003
The Observer: April 10, 2003
ANDREW THAGARD - News Writer
Two Notre Dame teams placed fourth and fifth in their division at the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship Tournament and three students received additional awards during the event, held April 3-6 in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Notre Dame program was the only one to have two teams place top five in either division and it received the most individual awards of any of the 64 teams present, according to William Dwyer, Mock Trial coach and an attorney with the O'Rourke, Hogan, Fowler and Dwyer law firm.
"We did remarkably well," Dwyer said. "It was quite an accomplishment."
Members of the two teams included Dave Belczyk and Mike Romano, club co-presidents, and Erika Jackson, Erin Blondel, Brenden Bowes, Brad Springman, Meghan McCall, Kristen Rodriguez, Vinnie Tenerelli, Jared Rizzi, Marlena Mangan, Katie Spitz, Leanor Cimino, Brandy Hutton and Brian Frey.
Mike Romano also received the All American Attorney and All-American Witness awards. Vinnie Tenerelli and Brian Frey received All-American Attorney awards as well.
Mock Trial allows college students to simulate court cases with team members serving as defense and prosecuting attorneys and witnesses. The AMTA holds tournaments across the nation with over 300 universities participating. All the teams in a particular division try the same case, either criminal or civil, and follow a series of established rules.
During the National Tournament, teams participated in a mock civil lawsuit brought by the parents of a seven year-old killed by a hit-and-run driver.
"The idea is you have to work within the framework of the case and the rules set up by the AMTA," Dwyer said. "They try to recreate a realistic environment in which the case is tried."
Dwyer and Romano described the atmosphere of the tournament as intense and said participants spend several hours each week practicing in addition to a two-hour class that focuses on form and legal knowledge.
"The students work enormously hard and there's a lot of stress involved," Dwyer said.
There are a total of 21 students in Notre Dame Mock Trial divided into three seven-person teams. All three teams qualified for the National Tournament but AMTA rules allow no more than two teams from each school to compete.
Romano credits the success of the organization to the talent of the members and the coach and said he anticipates the teams will do well next year.
"Next year we definitely want to maintain the program," he said. "This year we established ourselves by taking fourth and fifth in the tournament. I think we will be in a position to do very well next year."
"I think this is great for our program," echoed Dwyer. "It really shows the caliber of talent at Notre Dame."