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Furman hosts mock trial tournament
Furman University will host the Carol N. Ney National Mock Trial Tournament Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17 on campus.
Twenty-four teams from 10 states and the District of Columbia, representing 18 colleges and universities, are slated to attend including Duke, Emory, Dartmouth, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Washington and Lee. Trials are open to the public.
The American Mock Trial Association selected Furman as one of eight sites across the nation to host opening rounds of the 2013 national championship tournament, which will take place in Washington, D.C. April 12-14. This is the 16th year Furman has served as host.
A total of 192 teams nationwide will compete in opening rounds for one of 48 bids to the championship finals. Furman will field two teams in the Ney National for a chance to win its 17th consecutive berth in the finals.
Furman trustee Jim Ney and his wife, Carol, will present this year’s tournament. Both are Furman alumni.
Mock trial simulates a courtroom environment in which students portray attorney and witness roles. This year’s case involves allegations of negligence against a scuba diving company in the death of a client. The performances will be evaluated by more than 100 judges and lawyers from the community.
The Furman mock trial teams are coached by graduates D. Brad Rustin ‘03, Lindsay Builder ‘07, Andrew Frederick ‘09, Mark Fessler ‘05, Mitchell Goldsmith ‘06, and Steven Buckingham ‘03. Thomas Azar, legal advisor Angie Littlejohn, and English professor Margaret Oakes also serve as coaches.
For more information about the event, contact Glen Halva-Neubauer, director of Furman’s mock trial program, at 864-294-3086 or glen.halva-neubauer@furman.edu. Additional information can also be found at http://www.furmanmocktrial.org/.