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Miami Mock trial wins first and second at ORCS; teams advance to national championship

03/28/2012

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First place, Team 993 coached by Dan Haughey; left to right: Alex Block, Claire Meikle, Krista Pikus, Andrea Jackson, Deborah O’Neal, Alycia Walker, Brad Kent and Pavel Gurevich

Two teams from the Miami University James Lewis Family Mock Trial program placed first and second in the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) held in Hamilton March 24-25. They will go on to compete in the 48-team field in the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament hosted by Hamline University April 13-15 in Minneapolis.

Individual award winners from the two Miami teams were Alycia Walker, senior political science major from Cincinnati, for outstanding attorney; and Pavel Gurevich, senior finance major from Solon, Catherine Law, junior psychology major from Rochester, and Lauren Yates, sophomore strategic communication major from Broadview Heights, for outstanding witness.

Miami’s mock trial program hosted the ORCS in Hamilton, one of eight American Mock Trial Association Opening Round Championship Series tournaments held across the country. The top six teams from each opening round tournament move on to compete in the national championships.

The first place team, team 993, also won the American Mock Trial Association Pittsburgh Regional Tournament in February.

Miami’s teams are coached by Dan Herron, professor of business legal studies and director of Miami's mock trial program; Dan Haughey, Butler County Area III judge, attorney and visiting assistant professor of business legal studies; Neal Schuett, attorney and visiting assistant professor of business legal studies professor; Missi Schuett, law student; Laura Tholke, visiting assistant professor of business legal studies; and Miami alumna Jade Smarda, attorney.

Miami's mock trial program

Founded by Herron in 1994, the program is currently ranked second in the nation behind New York University. It is the 2001 National Champion, and has regularly finished in the nation’s top 10 since its inception.

Miami’s program this year fielded five teams with 42 students participating.

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Photos

Second place, Team 992 coached by Neal Schuett and Missi Schuett; front row, left to right: Catherine Law, Daniela Pierre-Bravo, Lauren Yates and Julie Luizzi; second row, left to right: Joe Luizzi, Michael Rhodes, Neal Schuett (coach), Tyler Abely and Michael Woeste

Regional winners

Starting with a field of more than 600 teams from more than 350 colleges and universities- making collegiate mock trial the largest academic competition in the country- 24 regional tournaments were held across the country with the top eight teams from each advancing to the ORCS. The National Championship field is now set at 48 teams.

Team 993 placed first at the Pittsburgh Regional Tournament: individual award winners were Alycia Walker, Alex Block and Bradley Ouambo for outstanding attorney, and Pavel Gurevich, Claire Meikle and Bradley Ouambo for outstanding witness.

Two Miami teams placed second and third at the Cincinnati Regional Tournament: individual award winners were Michael Rhodes and Allie Pickerell for outstanding attorney and Tyler Abely and Catherine Law for outstanding witness.