The 'Other' March Madness: UM Wins National Mock Trial

Champion UM Mock Trial Team Click to enlarge. (L. to R.) Kara Wilcox, Ayo Otukoya, William Mundy, Lauren Forgie, Raymond Jones, Emily Fetter, Kaitlyn Murphy, Brian Nettey, Amir Sadeghy

A team of eight University of Maryland undergraduates has captured the American Mock Trial Association national title for an unprecedented fifth time. The Maryland team defeated George Washington University in the 2008 championship competition on April 7 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"You could call this the 'other' March Madness, though this competition is even tougher than the basketball match-ups," says one of the team coaches, professor Mark Graber, who teaches at College Park and the University of Maryland School of Law. "This team went up against some of the brightest pre-law students in the nation representing leading academic institutions. Since last August, our team members have spent hours each day in preparation, and still maintain a 3.8 average. These are very bright, committed kids who deserve a lot of credit and recognition. It's a very great academic achievement."

The final tournament began on Friday evening (April 4) with 64 teams arrayed in two divisions. After four trials, the Terps had captured their division title. Sunday afternoon they faced George Washington for the national championship.

"It really is hotly contested like the NCAA championships," says UM Mock Trial program director Amir Sadeghy, an attorney who teaches government and politics at the University of Maryland. He served on the team as a Maryland undergraduate several years ago. "We competed this year against Ivies, Berkeley, Michigan, Cornell - a lot of top teams. Our students' dedication and preparation was evident. It paid off."

In the mock criminal trials, undergraduate students alternate roles playing attorneys for the prosecution and defense as well as witnesses. A panel of state and federal justices hears the cases.

"One of the judges, a former Minnesota Supreme Court justice, told us we were performing as well as some of the attorneys who argued before him," says Emily Fetter, a senior team member who made closing arguments in the final for the prosecution. "It was a great honor to argue before these distinguished judges. By the time we got to the final, I wasn't nervous any more. It was just one more trial to go."

'The State of Midlands v. Bobbi Campbell'

The fictional case argued by the students packs emotional power, but for the teams it's all about the rules of evidence and the facts:

A protective services child custody worker and a police officer come to a mother's home to remove a two-year-old child to a safer location. The mother screams and stabs the protective services worker with a syringe containing HIV-infected blood. As a result, the custody worker becomes infected too.

The mother has pleaded guilty. In the mock trials, the teams argue whether she should get a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison or a minimum of five years on probation.

Student Commitment

 Prosecution coordinator Emily Fetter estimates that she's spent about 20 hours per week since August in preparation. "All my friends tell me I don't have much of a life anymore, but I like it."

Her roommate is senior Kara Wilcox, who coordinated the team's defense. She and Fetter have been competing in mock trials together since high school. Wilcox, Fetter and two other team members have been accepted to top ten law schools next year.

"I feel like I'm ahead of the game," says Wilcox. "I've gotten a good understanding of the rules of evidence and I'll bring that with me to law school."

One of the Maryland team captains, senior Ayotunde Otukoya, will go to Georgetown law school next year. "I've been doing this since I was a freshman and have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours at it, says Otukoya. "But it's worth it. I've learned a skill for life."

Team Tradition

Maryland first began competing in the mock trials in 1990. They won national championships in 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2008. The program is based in the university's department of government and politics.

"We are immensely proud of these students who beat the best and the brightest from Harvard, Yale, Virginia and other elite universities," says Edward Montgomery, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. "Our students worked extremely hard to attain this goal, and they are to be commended for continuing the standard of excellence set by previous University of Maryland mock trial teams. I wish them continued success as they pursue their academic, personal and professional goals."

2008 Championship Team Members

Ayotunde Otukoya (criminology), Kara Wilcox (government and politics), William Z. Mundy (government and politics), Emily Fetter (government and politics), Kaitlyn Murphy (philosophy), Raymond Jones (government and politics), Lauren Forgie (economics) and Brian Nettey (economics). Freshmen Raymond Jones was named an All-American witness.

2008 Team Coaches

Amir Sadeghy and Aisha Henry are among the relatively few American Mock Trial Association participants to win national championships as both students and coaches. 2008 marks Coach George Failla's fourth national championship ring and the first for coach Mark A. Graber.