Massachusetts School of Law Trial Advocacy Team Finishes 4th in the Country

The Massachusetts School of Law Trial Advocacy Team advanced two of its teams to the Elite 8 and its undefeated team advanced to the Final 4 of the prestigious National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition held in San Francisco. The semifinals then matched two very evenly talented teams, MSL and the University of the Pacific McGeorge Law School. In trying the attempted murder case, both teams displayed superb advocacy and trial skills as they argued Motions in Limine, Motions under Rule 29 for a Required Finding of Not Guilty and tried the case to a jury. In the semifinals, the MSL team lost an extremely close match to end its National Championship run. Against some of the top trial advocacy programs in the United States, MSL’s Trial Advocacy team finished fourth in the country.

The California Attorneys for Criminal Justice sponsor the National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition held in alternating years in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since 2008, due to the increasing reputation of its Trial Advocacy program, MSL has been invited to compete in this prestigious competition that brings together the top trial advocacy programs in the country. Previous winners include Stanford Law School and Northwestern University School of Law. Many of the top Trial Advocacy programs in the United States competed again this year, including South Texas, which is presently ranked the number 1 Trial Advocacy program in the country.

MSL Team members are Allenston Sheridan Jr. of Manchester, Ct. , Darryl Caffee of Philadelphia, Pa. , Brittney Forgues of Ottawa, Ontario Canada , James Michael Dulany of Exeter, Nh., James Hester of Plymouth , Ma., Donovan Boyle of West Boylston, Ma., Kelley Fahy of Melrose ,Ma., and Kellie Tiller of Evans, Ga. Associate Dean Michael Coyne, Essex County Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Gillespie and Professors Daniel Harayda and Darius Greene coach the MSL Trial Advocacy team.