In preparation for the upcoming American Mock Trial Association regional tournament (which will be hosted by Macalester College February 9-11), the UMD Mock Trial Competition Team participated in the 2018 University of St. Thomas Hatting Invitational in Minneapolis in January.
Claire Schmitz, a junior majoring in communication and lead attorney for UMD’s defense, was the only attorney at the tournament to receive a perfect score of 20. Ollie Hile, a visiting student from Oxford, England, received a nearly perfect score for his portrayal of the attempted-murder defendant, Dylan Hendricks. Claire and Ollie are pictured at left with their Best Attorney and Best Witness Awards from the tournament.
Nate LaCoursiere, assistant professor, Political Science, says, “I am incredibly impressed with the strategy the students have employed to structure and present their cases. They have been working very hard, and I believe the team will give a great accounting of itself at the upcoming regional tournament. I cannot say enough about the leadership and hard work of Audrey Baumgartner, Tom Kramer, Claire Schmitz, Anna Jensen, Matt Dietch - the list goes on - truly impressive with all of the other competing demands on these students' schedules.”
LaCoursiere notes that the team includes three students from last semster’s mock trial class. “This semester, we have 17 students in the mock trial class - a significant jump in class size over last semester - and I think we will see a number of additional students from this class join the competition team next year. The discussion in the mock trial class has been very active and fun to kick off the semester - I am looking forward to a great spring.”
Students interested in learning more about the UMD Mock Trial Competition Team should contact current Mock Trial Club President Audrey Baumgartner at [email protected], or club advisor Assistant Professor Nate LaCoursiere at [email protected].
Visit UMD's Political Science website.