LOS ANGELES (Nov. 17, 2015) - UC Berkeley School of Law won the 14th Annual National Civil Trial Competition (NCTC) on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, after a three-day tournament held over the weekend in Los Angeles. More than 50 law schools nationwide apply for this prestigious rivalry, and only 16 finalists are chosen to compete in the invitation-only event that focuses on training students in the art of trial practice.
The winning team members are Colin Jones, DeCarol Davis, Jared Ginsburg and Jason Wu. The team coaches are Emily Tienken and Suzanne Jaffe.
- Finalists: Georgetown Law Center
- Semi Finalist: Stetson University School of Law
- Semi Finalist: Washington University St. Louis
- Best Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds: Alexis Wilpon, Georgetown Law Center
- Best Advocate in Finals: Jared Ginsburg, UC Berkeley
- Ethical Advocacy Award: Georgetown Law Center
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles hosts the annual tournament that first launched in 2002 under the guidance of Professor Susan Poehls, the director of trial advocacy programs at the school. The Santa Monica law firm Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP has proudly co-sponsored the event since its inception.
Each competing law school sent a team of four students who participated in a civil lawsuit trial that consisted of opening statements, direct and cross-examination of two witnesses per side, and closing arguments. This year each team litigated the hypothetical wrongful death lawsuit Chen v. City and County of Santa Francesca, based on an actual case that involved an airline passenger who was apparently run over on the tarmac by an emergency vehicle racing to respond to a plane crash.
“This was an impressive match up between our nation’s most promising legal talents,” said Browne Greene, Senior Partner at Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP and a member of the judges’ panel. “These young law students really put their hearts into this competition, and it was a pleasure to watch and judge this competition.”
“A weekend like this clearly demonstrates that the next generation of trial lawyers will be a dynamic group of young people ready to handle the challenges of the courtroom. Quite simply, they were spectacular,” said Professor Poehls.
More than 100 members of the greater Los Angeles legal community volunteered as tournament judges.