Difference between revisions of "Williams College Mock Trial & Moot Court"

 
 
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The mission of the Williams College Mock Trial Team is to bring students together interested in Mock Trial together, to empower undergraduate students, with a basic, general, and practical understanding of litigation, to compete in tournaments at the local, regional, and national level, and to WIN!!!
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[[Category:Groups]]
  
What is Mock Trial?
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The Williams College Mock Trial/Moot Court Team is a program of the Williams College Law Society, and is associated with the American Collegiate Moot Court Association, and the American Mock Trial Association.
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'''What is Mock Trial?'''
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Mock Trial is a competitive trial simulation. We compete with other colleges all across the nation on a realistic case involving civil or criminal charges. Each college prepares their case as if it were a real trial case in a U.S. Court by, choosing their witnesses, creating direct and cross examinations, opening statements, closing arguments, and objections.
  
Mock Trial is a competitive trial simulation. We compete with other colleges all across the nation on a realistic case involving civil and criminal charges (murder, defamation, manslaughter, unlawful death… etc). Each University prepares their case as if it were a real trial case in a U.S. Court by, choosing their witnesses, creating direct and cross examinations, opening statements, closing arguments, and objections. This is particularly interesting and realistic because you never really know what the other schools are going to come up with. Each competition is sanctioned by The American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) with practicing judges and attorneys presiding over and scoring the competition.
 
 
Each Team of 7-10 members consists of 3 attorneys, 3 witnesses, 1-2 timekeepers, and alternate witnesses/attorneys. The attorneys for each team must abide by the rules of evidence created by AMTA (They are very similar to the Federal Rules of Evidence). Witnesses get to interpret their affidavits in conjunction with the case and create a persona that makes each witness unique.
 
Each Team of 7-10 members consists of 3 attorneys, 3 witnesses, 1-2 timekeepers, and alternate witnesses/attorneys. The attorneys for each team must abide by the rules of evidence created by AMTA (They are very similar to the Federal Rules of Evidence). Witnesses get to interpret their affidavits in conjunction with the case and create a persona that makes each witness unique.
  
Who can join the Mock Trial Team?
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'''What is Moot Court?'''
Any active Williams College student can join. Majors, Concentrations, etc… are not constraints. We seek out charismatic, well spoken people who can think on their feet.  
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Moot Court is a simulation of an appellate court proceeding, also known as mock Supreme Court. Moot Court involves teams of two student-contestants competing in front of a panel of judges, with briefs and oratory detailing the dimensions of the legal problem before the appellate court. Students argue a hypothetical legal case known as the competition case. To do so, students must research the cases and laws cited in the competition case. Moot court judges ask students questions and grade the students on the basis of their knowledge of the case, their response to questioning, their forensic skills, and their demeanor. Oral argument lasts 40 minutes (each side gets 20 minutes) and each student is expected to speak for a minimum of 7 minutes.
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Moot court is used as an educational tool around the world, and tournaments are currently organized in the United States, in Great Britain, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, and in a number of other countries. Moot court has been featured in legal training for hundreds of years, with origins in medieval England.
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'''What is Mediation?'''
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Mediation is a team competition that consists of acting out three roles: Mediator, Attorney/Advocate, and Client, a simulated practicum in real-world mediation that will aid students in whatever career path they choose. The intent of the tournament is to give students a real life experience as mediator and as an attorney and client.  These competitions are designed to help undergraduate students understand the value of resolving disputes through mediation. The competitions also help students develop mediation skills so that they are better equipped at resolving both personal and professional disputes through mediation.Three students make up a team, (although there may be up to two alternates per team) and each student must participate as mediator in one of three preliminary rounds. Students participating have the opportunity to receive All-American recognition. The season begins in the early fall with practices and the review of case materials, and then a National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament in November. The InterNational Academy of Dispute Resolution sponsors the undergraduate and law school mediation tournaments, and provides mediators to train students as well as judge the rounds.
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'''2016-2017 Captains'''
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Law Teams Director: Reed Sawyers (jrs9)
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Moot Court Coach: Andrew Giarolo
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Mock Trial Captain: Chrisleine Temple (cjt1) and Mason Wong (mlw4)
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Moot Court Captain: Mary Beth Dato (mjd3)
  
What kind of commitment am I making if I join the team?
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Mediation Captain: Minwei Cao (mc11)
This depends on your aspirations. During the season, we meet during our regular class hours (see “Do I get credit for this”) which are Monday’s from 6pm-8:45pm. Although, as competitions approach, we do add additional meeting times to practice (Usually Saturdays or Sundays). We also attend Invitationals throughout the season at various universities (i.e. Miami, UF, FSU, Kennesaw… just to name a few). These will usually take up a 1-2 days over the weekend in which we travel, compete, and return. As far as roles go, being an attorney will require the most time. Attorneys must be involved in every aspect of the case, and know it inside and out. Witnesses must be know their affidavits and portray their character in a realistic manner. Time Keepers are required to keep the time of all aspect of the case (Because we only have a certain amount of time total to try the case). Pending on your role within the team, and what part of the season we are in, a member can expect to spend 4-20 hours a week on Mock Trial (it may sound like a lot, but once you get involved, you see that it isn’t). and obviously those numbers will rely upon how much responsibility you wish to take with the team.
 
  
How will this team benefit me in the long run?
 
The Williams College Mock Trial Team is an invaluable experience for any student. To name some of the benefits, you will acquire public speaking skills, meet and work with other goal oriented students, network with professionals that help with post graduate studies, and… it looks amazing on a resume (especially if you win awards)! If you are at all interested in the practice of law, especially if you plan to go to law school, this experience will give you an upper hand on any of the other students.
 
  
How do I join the team?
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'''Who can join the Team and how?'''
Simply contact Michelle Ryang (msr2@williams.edu) or Katherine Newcomer (kan2@williams.edu)
 
  
To learn more
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Any active Williams College student can join. Majors, Concentrations, etc. are not constraints. We seek out charismatic, well spoken people who can think on their feet. Simply contact us WilliamsCollegeMockMoot@gmail.com.
http://www.collegemocktrial.org/welcome/welcome.php
 
  
http://wso.williams.edu/wiki/index.php/Williams_College_Law_Society
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For more info, visit our website: http://williamscollegelawsociety.com/lawteams/
  
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Check us out on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsCollegeLawSociety
  
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Williams-College-Mock-Trial/124222390982871?v=info
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Or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ephlaw

Latest revision as of 21:58, September 20, 2016


The Williams College Mock Trial/Moot Court Team is a program of the Williams College Law Society, and is associated with the American Collegiate Moot Court Association, and the American Mock Trial Association.

What is Mock Trial?

Mock Trial is a competitive trial simulation. We compete with other colleges all across the nation on a realistic case involving civil or criminal charges. Each college prepares their case as if it were a real trial case in a U.S. Court by, choosing their witnesses, creating direct and cross examinations, opening statements, closing arguments, and objections.

Each Team of 7-10 members consists of 3 attorneys, 3 witnesses, 1-2 timekeepers, and alternate witnesses/attorneys. The attorneys for each team must abide by the rules of evidence created by AMTA (They are very similar to the Federal Rules of Evidence). Witnesses get to interpret their affidavits in conjunction with the case and create a persona that makes each witness unique.

What is Moot Court?

Moot Court is a simulation of an appellate court proceeding, also known as mock Supreme Court. Moot Court involves teams of two student-contestants competing in front of a panel of judges, with briefs and oratory detailing the dimensions of the legal problem before the appellate court. Students argue a hypothetical legal case known as the competition case. To do so, students must research the cases and laws cited in the competition case. Moot court judges ask students questions and grade the students on the basis of their knowledge of the case, their response to questioning, their forensic skills, and their demeanor. Oral argument lasts 40 minutes (each side gets 20 minutes) and each student is expected to speak for a minimum of 7 minutes.

Moot court is used as an educational tool around the world, and tournaments are currently organized in the United States, in Great Britain, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, and in a number of other countries. Moot court has been featured in legal training for hundreds of years, with origins in medieval England.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a team competition that consists of acting out three roles: Mediator, Attorney/Advocate, and Client, a simulated practicum in real-world mediation that will aid students in whatever career path they choose. The intent of the tournament is to give students a real life experience as mediator and as an attorney and client. These competitions are designed to help undergraduate students understand the value of resolving disputes through mediation. The competitions also help students develop mediation skills so that they are better equipped at resolving both personal and professional disputes through mediation.Three students make up a team, (although there may be up to two alternates per team) and each student must participate as mediator in one of three preliminary rounds. Students participating have the opportunity to receive All-American recognition. The season begins in the early fall with practices and the review of case materials, and then a National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament in November. The InterNational Academy of Dispute Resolution sponsors the undergraduate and law school mediation tournaments, and provides mediators to train students as well as judge the rounds.


2016-2017 Captains

Law Teams Director: Reed Sawyers (jrs9)

Moot Court Coach: Andrew Giarolo

Mock Trial Captain: Chrisleine Temple (cjt1) and Mason Wong (mlw4)

Moot Court Captain: Mary Beth Dato (mjd3)

Mediation Captain: Minwei Cao (mc11)


Who can join the Team and how?

Any active Williams College student can join. Majors, Concentrations, etc. are not constraints. We seek out charismatic, well spoken people who can think on their feet. Simply contact us WilliamsCollegeMockMoot@gmail.com.

For more info, visit our website: http://williamscollegelawsociety.com/lawteams/

Check us out on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsCollegeLawSociety

Or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ephlaw