The verdict: Clark takes first place at mock trial competitions

Clark University’s aspiring lawyers delivered victories at two recent mock trial tournaments.

The Clark A team took first place with a 7-1 record at the University of New Hampshire Wildcat Invitational, held Oct. 27-28. Clark tied Suffolk University in one round and beat teams from the University of New Haven, Austin College of Texas, and MIT. Juliet Michaelsen ’19 won a Best Witness Award, and Rachael Chen ’19 won a Best Attorney Award with the highest possible score. The team includes Matthew O’Hara ’21, Owen Ganter ’21, Aitana Doster ’20, Salma Shawa ’19, Joanna Hamilton ’19, Julie Reed ’21, Alexandria Ross ’21, Zoe Brammer ’21, Chen, and Michaelsen.

The novice Clark B team did not compete in the UNH tournament, but earned first place with a 7-1 record at the Cougar Classic Mock Trial Invitational Tournament held on the Clark campus, Nov. 17-18. Clark beat teams from Bryant University, the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y., and Colby College, and tied with UMass Lowell. Alex Gullotti ’21 and Rachel Goldman ’22 won Best Witness awards.

Team members included Colleen Falconer ’22, Emily Abbott ’21, Jordan Blocher ’21, Aaron Wolfson ’21, Erin Swift ’22, Rachael Howe ’21, Sam Snediker ’22, Anabel Riggio ’22, Owen Mortner ’22, Goldman, and Gullotti.

Also at the Cougar Classic, Clark’s A team came in fifth with a record of 5-3, defeating The College of the Holy Cross and tying with teams from Colby College, UMass Lowell, and Wellesley College.

Attorney Steven Kennedy ’88 coaches both teams.

“It was a privilege to judge the recent tournament and give back to the program that gave me so much,” said Rich Fields ’03, who served as a judge at the Cougar Classic alongside other alumni and Clark parents. “The mock trial program at Clark gave me an opportunity to wrestle with the law and trial advocacy and gave me skills and confidence that were incredibly helpful in law school and in my career.”

“We are all very proud of all of the hard work by both Clark University intercollegiate mock trial teams,” said Mark Miller, professor of political science and director of the Law and Society Program. “We are hoping that all the hard work pays off when the teams compete in the regional tournament at Yale in February 2019.  The team members and the officers of the Epstein Pre-Law Society also put in a lot of work behind the scenes to help make the invitational tournament we hosted a big success.”