From Ireland to Chicago

No, you are not going crazy! You did hear Irish accents echoing in the halls of The John Marshall Law School this summer.  Eight students ventured all the way from Ireland to Chicago as part of the Comparative Trial Advocacy program that John Marshall offers along with the The Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. The Irish students partook in the two week Accelerated Trial Advocacy course and were exposed to the federal rules of evidence and the whole new experience that is “American Litigation.”

How did they do? The students passed with flying colors. Not only were they able to appreciate the concepts of American litigation, but they gave the American students a run for their money.  Due to their amazingly quick wit and refined public speaking skills, the Irish students not only met the expectations of the judges who taught the classes, they far exceeded them.

But the Irish students were not locked away in classrooms the whole time they were in Chicago. They participated in many activities in and around the city. They had dinner at the home of a Cook County Circuit Court judge, visited the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 26th and California, and played in a volleyball tournament at North Ave. Beach. Overall, when asked whether the students enjoyed their time here, they all gave a unanimous answer… “YES!”  Mission accomplished!

Return to Top

The Pilot Program

The top finishers of the 1L Mock Trial Competition had a very eventful summer. Not only did they receive accolades for their placement from the competition, they were given the opportunity to participate in the Trial Advocacy Pilot Program. The program is a week long and conducted by an experienced attorney and a state court judge. Trial Advocacy Assistant Director Lance Northcutt and The Honorable Thomas Byrne presented the program, teaching the students the “ins and outs” of trial advocacy.

The students met for three hours a night for an entire week. Jamila Ahmed, a participant in the Pilot Program, explains, “We were given a short problem. We had to do opening statements, closing arguments, direct examinations and cross examinations for either the prosecution or defense.”  The students were essentially given the opportunity to complete a very abridged version of a basic trial advocacy course.

Adjunct Professor Northcutt and Judge Byrne honed in on the students’ trial advocacy skills and knowledge of evidence. Each step of the way, the professors coached and critiqued the students on style and presentation, what to do and what not to do, and where and how they could improve. As Andrea Crivolio, another participant in the program, explains, “The coaches were great about giving critiques in a funny way, which was nice because you never felt embarrassed or upset with your critique.”

The students were also given a short lesson on public speaking. David Lipschutz, a Trial Advocacy and Dispute Resolutions Board member and part-time actor, gave the students tips on how to improve their confidence in the legal world. He also gave the students some relaxation techniques and had them perform improvisation games that turned out to be a lot more comical than expected!

Overall, the program was quite a success. The students not only learned a great deal about trial advocacy, they had a great time doing it. But don’t take my word for it. Here is what some of the students had to say about the program. According to Jamila Ahmed, “[I]t was very helpful, and I feel more confident starting trial advocacy this fall. Mr. Northcutt and Judge Bryne...were great. [They] made us feel comfortable enough to get up and volunteer. ” According to Andrea Crivolio, “I thought the Pilot program was a great experience.  It was a great way to improve our trial skills in a laid back atmosphere.” 

Return to Top

 Conflict Resolution Camp Recap

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) arm of the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution started off this year with a bang! The Center had its very first Conflict Resolution Camp which was a great success. The workshop was conducted over two nights. The first evening of the workshop involved various events, such as negotiation, client counseling and mediation. Professor Ron Smith introduced the evening’s program. Professor Smith was followed by Courtney Slovin, President of the ADR Society, and Patricia Ross, the ADR Competition Chair of the Trial Advocacy Honors Board, who both spoke about the many advantages of getting involved with the ADR program and competitions at The John Marshall Law School.

Professor Susann MacLachlan then discussed the educational aspects of the ADR program with an overview of the importance of real-life negotiations and how these skills can be developed on the negotiation team. Professor MacLachlan also presented a student performance of a negotiation simulation to illustrate the components of an ABA Negotiation Competition.

The mock-negotiation portion of the evening was followed by a brief simulation of what occurs at the ABA Client Counseling Competition. This then led to a discussion of mediation. Professor Liz Simon spoke about the advantages and skills developed through mediation and arbitration with the help of a few students who performed a brief mock-mediation.

The second night of the workshop focused primarily on student volunteers trying their hand at a mediation and an arbitration. Professor Simon provided tips and critiques to the various volunteers.

For those who couldn’t make the workshop, don’t worry! Both nights were videotaped and will be available for viewing. Also, another workshop is in the works for either later this semester or Spring 2010. Thanks to everyone involved for such a successful, first-ever Conflict Resolution Workshop!

Return to Top

Trial Teams for Fall 2009

Being on a trial team, and representing The John Marshall Law School, is a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. However, it takes a tremendous amount of dedication and time commitment in the preparation leading up to the competition.  There will be many days and evenings spent discussing the competition material and trial strategies with your teammates and coaches.  Meanwhile, you will continue to develop your trial advocacy skills and create a bond with your teammates and coaches that will last a lifetime.  Once you have put in all of the hard work and effort, you will feel confident at the trial competition. The feeling that you get as you complete the trial, knowing that you did well, is indescribable. 

With that in mind, the following are the four trial competitions for the fall semester:

National Trial Advocacy Competition (10/08/2009 – 10/11/2009) East Lansing, MI

• NTAC is a criminal trial competition.

• This year, the problem involves a homicide case.  

Georgetown White Collar Crime Competition (11/13/2009 – 11/15/2009) Washington, D.C.

• Georgetown’s competition is unique in that it is the only trial competition involving a white collar crime.

• Last year’s problem involved a match-fixing referee.  

Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition (11/13/2009 – 11/16/2009) Buffalo, NY

• This is one of the bigger trial competitions.

• This competition typically involves a criminal case.  

ABA Labor and Employment Law Competition (11/21/2009 – 11/22/2009) Chicago, IL

• This competition is held right across the street in the Federal building.

• The ABA’s competition focuses on labor and employment litigation rather than a criminal matter.

Return to Top