National Mock Trial Team – Tryouts for 2020-21 Team – Week of October 19th
Coaches Ashley Finch and Katie Farley, along with Professor Danny Schaffzin, invite 2L and 3L students to try out for Memphis Law’s 2020-21 National Mock Trial Team.
2020-21 National Trial Competition (NTC): The National Trial team participates in the National Trial Competition, one of the largest mock trial competitions in the country. The American College of Trial Lawyers and the Texas Young Lawyers Association co-sponsor the NTC. This year, the National Trial Team will compete virtually in the NTC Regional Rounds in late January or early February. If the Team advances, it will compete in the NTC National Final Rounds, which are tentatively scheduled to be held in Texas in early April.
Benefits of National Trial Team Participation: Being a member of the National Trial Team offers 2Ls and 3L students a unique opportunity to hone litigation and oral advocacy skills while mastering the Rules of Evidence in a fun, supportive, yet challenging environment. Coaches Farley and Finch were both National Trial Team members before graduating Memphis Law and joining the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office. In addition to training under Coaches Farley and Finch, Team members will meet and learn from former team members, coaches, and practicing attorneys who will serve as guest judges.
Tryout Dates and Times: Tryouts will be conducted via Zoom on Monday, October 19th (2:00-7:00), Thursday, October 22nd (5:00-7:00), and Friday, October 23rd (5:00-7:00). Each tryout will last 15 minutes. Interested students should register for a tryout on TWEN by Friday, October 16th, at 4:30 p.m. (see below).
Tryout Registration: Interested students should register for the National Trial Team’s TWEN page (“2020-21 National Trial Team”) and sign-up for a tryout slot under the “Tryout Sign-Up Sheet” tab. IMPORTANT: Once you have signed up for a tryout slot, please e-mail a current resume to Coach Farley (Katie.Farley@scdag.com), Coach Finch (ashley.finch@scdag.com), and Professor Schaffzin (dschffzn@memphis.edu). The coaches will provide you with a link and password information to access the Zoom tryout room.
Tryout Preparation : Applicants will be expected to give an opening statement based You can access the tryout case file, State of Lone Star v. Stevie Tyler, under the “Tryouts Case File” tab on the TWEN page. previous National Trial Competition. The opening statement should be 5-7 minutes in length. Applicants can make the opening statement for either the Plaintiff or the Defendant.
Please direct any questions about the National Trial Team or the tryout to Coach Farley, Coach Finch, or Professor Schaffzin. Thank you in advance for your interest!
