Backyard Bloodbath: American Association Of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition Preview

Written by Steven Tschiggfrie

Two-hundred and twenty-four teams to beat and only one month to do it.  Well, only two weeks to beat the 16 competitors in the region and another two weeks until we face the other 13 victors from their respective regions.  Getting out of the American Association of Justice Chicago-area regional competition will not be an easy feat.  Loyola, Northwestern, Notre Dame, University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, Miami of Ohio, Valparaiso University, and Indiana University at Bloomington stand in the way; most schools bringing multiple teams.  AAJ is one of the largest trial ad competitions in the nation and schools tend to send their toughest warriors in order to take the championship.  No doubt about it, this competition will surely be a bloodbath - the JMLS team just plans on being the last team standing when it’s all over!

John Marshall has a good chance of doing just that, too.  We have two teams entered into this competition; both have a good mix of hardened veterans and rookie hotshots.  We are fortunate to be led into battle by Lance Northcutt and his army of JMLS trial ad graduates: Matt Sims, Meredith Shane, and Cheyne Adam.  All three are Northcutt-trained, championship quality, AAJ veterans and their insight into this competition has been absolutely instrumental in our strategic preparation.   

This year’s case is medical malpractice and has a lot of facts and details to commit to memory.  With so many intricacies, knowledge of the Federal Rules of Evidence is particularly critical.  Any team who goes into this battle with a dull FRE blade will certainly not make it out alive….  and our swords are sharp!

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The Civil Litigator’s Basic Necessities:
An Interview With Dan Jackson ‘06, Fourth Year Associate With The Gloor Law Group.

Written by Anthony Sam

Civil practice requires a mastery of civil procedure, so Civil Procedure I and II are a must. Those wishing to stay here in Illinois should consider taking Illinois Civil Procedure as well because you will end up in state court at some point. A course in Civil Drafting will help with motion practice. But if you really want to shine as a litigator you must take the advanced course in Trial Advocacy. If you have an idea about which civil practice area you want to specialize in, you may be able to tailor your law school course work to give you an edge.  

For those interested in specializing in business, Corporations, Contracts, Remedies, Sales and the UCC will point you in the right direction. For you tort-minded litigators, the basic course in Torts is only the beginning. You should consider Product Liability and Advanced Torts, too.  

Judicial Clerkships and Externships make students more marketable to firms, but for the more civil-practice minded law students, a Federal clerkship is the way to go. Writing for Law Review or a Journal will help hone your Bluebook skills and give you much needed help when publishing articles in the real world.  

If you want more tips on becoming a great civil litigator try joining clubs and organizations that feature as their speakers some top civil litigators. Remember nothing beats talking with attorneys who are doing what you hope to do at school and bar-sponsored networking events.  

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Dan Jackson, JD 2006

Written by Aleksandra Spevacek

Years at the Gloor Law Group:  4

Practice Area:  Litigation

Q. How did you get your job at Gloor?
A. My old JMLS trial coach and mentor Mike Mahoney knew Pat Gloor and forwarded my resume on to him.  After a couple interviews I was eventually hired.

Q. How often are you in the court room?
A. A couple times a week.

Q. Does what you learned at JMLS affect how you try a case? 
A. Yes, definitely.

Q. If you had to sum up  your career at JMLS in one sentence, what would you say? 
A. Busy.

Q. Who was your favorite professor while at JMLS? 
A. I had several favorite professors.  To name a few, Prof. Bernabe, Prof. Dan Mays, Prof. Spanbauer and Prof. Kandaras.

Q. Did you know you wanted to be a litigator when you were a student?  If not, what practice area did you see yourself in?   
A. I always knew that I wanted to be a litigator.

Q. How did your mind change about the practice area in which you wished to work?   
A. I never changed my mind.

Q.  What is your advice to law students interested in civil litigation? 
A. Take as many practical courses (i.e. IL Civil procedure, LS III, and as many trial ad classes/teams as possible). 

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Anthony Sam

Written by Katie Siefert

Trial Advocacy Honors Board Position: Vice Barrister

Q. Where did THE Anthony Sam grow up and when did you begin your adventures with trial advocacy?
A.I grew up on the south side of Chicago. I went to Lewis University (Romoeville, IL) and there I did mock trial.

Q. What kind of law do you want to practice after graduation and how do you plan to use your trial advocacy skills in your job after graduation?
A. I hope to be a trial attorney doing corporate work. The skills that I have acquired will definitely open a few doors and hopefully offer a different perspective on trial strategy and technique.

Q. How important do you think flair and personality are for the average advocate?
A. Have you found that using your outgoing personality has helped you convey your message to the judges in your competitions? There is something to be said for a little flair and personality in trials. As an advocate you must remember who your audience is and tailor your presentations to meet the audience's expectations. I have found that judges like a little entertainment especially when they have to sit through hours of competitions. I couldn't image not having some portion of a trial be happy, sad, or a little funny, because I wouldn't enjoy the trial.

Q. You are a two time national champ...besides excellent coaching, what has been your secret to such success?
A. Besides the excellent coaches and invaluable critiques from my friends, I like to make sure that I have fun on all the teams I compete on. I never take myself too seriously and that seems to work for me.

Q. Mock trials are a lot about team work, how do you find your groove with the rest of your teammates?
A. That is not difficult. I like people and people who get to know me like me too. It is always interesting working in a group but one thing that I try to remember is that we are all human and none us are perfect, so we have to learn to work together.

Q. You obviously have been successful as a student in advocacy, how do you think you will have to adapt when you start practicing in the real world with the new age of courtroom and trial technology that is used to help convey your message and arguments to the jury?
A. Can excellent technology ever take the place of great advocacy? I am always up for a challenge and learning new things in "real" practice will be exciting. I have lucked out though because I have had excellent coaches who are on the cutting edge of trial advocacy, so my transition to the real world won't be difficult. I think that technology complements great advocacy.

Q. Do you have any funny stories from a competition?
A. My trial teams stories could not be posted here because I would be seriously harmed. If you want to know some great trial teams stories, you should join a trial team. You will have stories for the rest of your life.

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