Each year, the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar sponsors the Chester Bedell Memorial Trial Competition. Each law school in the state is invited to send two teams. This year eight schools responded and sent sixteen teams.
The 2007-08 competition, a mock products liability case, was held on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday, yesterday, each team tried the case twice, representing the plaintiffs at one trial and the defendant at the other. For each trial, three trial lawyers served as jurors and a judge or another trial lawyer served as the presiding judge. The teams with 2-0 records and the highest scores advanced to the semifinals on Friday morning. (Miami's other team ended day 1 with a 1-1 record, losing to one of the semifinalists.) The winners (Stetson and Miami) advanced to the finals on Thursday afternoon. The finals were tried before a panel of five lawyer-jurors and a circuit judge.
And the UM team won. Robert Palmer, chair of the Trial Lawyers Section announced the winning team. Frank Angones, President of the Florida Bar, presented the best advocate award to Jonathan Weiss, and the team trophy to Joycelyn S. Brown, Christopher M.
Lomax, and Jonathan R. Weiss. Sarah B. King was the witness.
Congrats to all, and to team coaches Terry Anderson and James Gailey.
Coming soon to a PIP department or PD’s office near you!