Contact:

Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, 277-5915

Feb. 27, 2002

LAW STUDENTS ADVANCE TO NATIONAL COMPETITION IN MOCK TRIALS

After winning the regional title for the first time in 13 years, three University of New Mexico School of Law students will advance to the National Mock Trial Competition in Austin, Texas, April 4-6.

Established in 1975 and sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the competition is one the oldest and most prestigious in the country. The program is open to all American Bar Association accredited law schools.

At the regional competition held in February in Norman, Okla., 20 teams represented approximately 10 schools. Thirteen regions will be represented at nationals.

UNM sent two teams of three students to the competition. Patrick Griebel, Spring Webb and Eric Anaya made up team one. Matt Madrid, Brenda Saiz and David Fine are team two and will advance to nationals with another team from the region based in Tulsa.

The students began the process with extensive tryouts at the UNM School of Law in December. Following selection, both teams met five days a week for about five hours a day to practice. Mock trial coaches Steve Scholl and Brent Bailey of Dixon, Scholl, & Bailey, Attorneys at Law, led the sessions.

"In addition to their daily coaching, extensive time commitments and invaluable assistance, both Mr. Scholl and Mr. Bailey accompanied us to Norman for the competition," Fine said.

Participating in five trials in a span of three days, during the semi-final round, Madrid and Fine advanced UNM to the finals with the highest point total of any team in the competition. Saiz joined Fine in the finals to bring home the win.

Each round was judged and scored by a panel of local attorneys and judges. Points are based on performance in trying the case, mastery of the rules of evidence as well as trial advocacy skills. A wrongful death case was used.

New Jersey native Brenda Saiz, second year law student, plans to be a civil litigator after graduation. Tucson native Matt Madrid, second year law student, hopes to spend the majority of his legal career as a Juvenile Court Judge.

Albuquerque native David Fine will graduate this spring. He plans to work in either the criminal or civil system where he can "put into practice the wealth of information learned while on the team," he said.

"I participated on the team last year, too, an experience that no doubt provided an advantage. But other than myself, this was the first time the other members had competed in the mock trial competition," Fine said.

Past national champions include Notre Dame Law School, 2000, and Stetson University College of Law, 2001.

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The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
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Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
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