Issue date: 2/13/08Section: Features

Media Credit: TORCH PHOTO COURTESY OF PROFESSOR BERNARD HELLDORFER

The members and coaches of the St. John's Mock Trial Team epitomize the notion that with great talent comes great responsibility. Having just celebrated its fifteenth year of excellence in competition against the most prestigious universities in the United States, this team has earned itself the status of one of St. John's most successful teams of any kind, academic or athletic, in intercollegiate competition.

Complete with an exceptional coaching staff composed of three accomplished trial attorneys, a slew of St. John's most gifted and motivated students and a trophy case that lacks adequate room for their numerous awards, the St. John's Mock Trial Team is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Ironically, this fact is little-known in the St. John's community.

Each year, the team competes in the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament, run by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), where its students are able to demonstrate their aptitude and skill as directly compared to students from Ivy League universities. At The Fifth Annual Columbia University Big Apple Invitational Tournament, its final preseason competition, where only the highest nationally ranked schools are invited, St. John's Mock Trial Team finished in tenth place, coupled with two individual student awards.

"These pre-season tournaments are solely done for the experience, and it is vital to compete against very good schools to get a sense of our competition," said Director of the Legal Studies Program Professor Bernard Helldorfer, team founder and practicing attorney. "The students get a chance to compete under real pressure and see how capable they are to think on their feet.

The greatest value is giving them a chance to discover that they are just as good as these students from other strong academic schools across the country."

Now having proven that they are of equal academic quality when ranked against the best of the best-a surefire testament to the expertise of their coaches, who work voluntarily out of sheer desire for the success of their students-the team is set to tackle the Regional Round of the competition against twelve different universities. And this is no small task.

"It really takes huge commitment and a lot of acting ability as well," said Jomaire Crawford, Junior Mock Trial Member. "It's not simply reciting facts, but injecting life into your character-whether it be a witness or attorney. Every day, I do my own individual work and meet with my partner during breaks between classes."

Continued...

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