Massachusetts School of Law Trial Advocacy Team
Takes 3rd Place at the National NBLSA
Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition in Detroit
Massachusetts School of Law’s Trial Advocacy Team captured 3rd place at the national finals of the 2008 Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition of the National Black Law Students Association. MSL’s team had previously won the Northeast region championship. The Northeast region is comprised of the 33 law schools in New England, New York and northern New Jersey. MSL sent two teams to the national competition in Detroit, Michigan as their teams had finished in the top four spots in the Northeast region. The two winners from the six regions compete for the national championship, which this year that was held in Detroit. The other participating regional winners included, The University of Virginia Law School, The University of Miami School of Law, DePaul Law School, The University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and Texas Tech School of Law. MSL team members are Rebecca Jadach, Karen Lucien, Dayo Aina, Nicole Dion, Jonas Pierre, Andre Cayo, Anne Hemingway, Alicia Kenney-Montero, Darius Greene, Allen Woodward, Daniel Occena, Stephen Kearney, David Walker, Kimberly Gillespie, Mirlande Joachim, and Ida Candreva. Associate Dean Michael Coyne, attorney and Professor Dan Harayda and Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Filippetti serve as the coaches of MSL’s Trial Advocacy team.
The national finals involved a murder that occurred as a result of an abusive relationship. The case had complex and technical evidentiary and constitutional issues that the students addressed both from a standpoint of expertise and advocacy. The trials were held in the Frank J. Murphy Courthouse in Detroit and were all highly competitive. The trial judges applauded MSL’s teams throughout the competition for their impressive advocacy and high level of professionalism. Both MSL teams were prosecutors during the morning preliminary round and switched to the defense in the afternoon preliminary round. In the morning MSL, students Jonas Pierre, Andre Cayo, Anne Hemingway and Alicia Kenney-Montero represented the government against the defendant who was represented by a team from the University of Miami School of Law. Fellow MSL students Ida Candreva, Mirlande Joachim, Allen Woodward and Kim Gillespie represented the government against a team from the UCLA School of Law representing the defendant.
At this year’s competition MSL defeated teams from some of the best trial advocacy programs in the United States as they advanced through the competition. MSL’s team was the fourth ranked team after the conclusion of the preliminary rounds of the trials and became the top ranked team as a result of their performance in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, despite a flawless performance by Ida Candreva, Mirlande Joachim, Allen Woodward and Kim Gillespie, MSL’s team lost in the semifinals to Faulkner University School of Law who then beat Texas Tech School of Law to capture the national championship. The award for best trial advocate of the competition went to a University of Virginia team member. Georgetown University Law School won more awards than any other school in the Moot Court competition and Boston College Law School won best brief in the Moot Court competition also held at Detroit during the BLSA convention.
MSL’s team has now advanced to the national finals in both of the last two years to face teams from some of the best trial advocacy programs in the United States.
Coaches Harayda and Filippetti praised team members for their diligence and professionalism. In praising the team’s performance, Dean Coyne said, “It is impressive to see how this team came together over the last year, mastering evidence and the art of advocacy to become great trial lawyers. That they could accomplish so much both at the regional and national level is a tribute to their intelligence and deep commitment to excelling at the study of law. To see the team personify the practical approach to the study of law to the point where they do not simply do well but excel against some of the other great law schools in this country makes us especially proud. I have said many times that I would match the talents of our law students against those of anyone’s in the country, when they are we see their impressive results.”
2007 Team
Trial Advocacy Team Successful in National Competition |
