Cornell's mock-trial teams jump-start season

Two mock trial teams made up of Cornell undergraduates competed in the Yale Invitational Mock Trial Tournament at Yale Law School Nov. 9 and 10. While Princeton was the overall winner, both Cornell teams turned in excellent overall performances, and two student team members were awarded individual prizes.

The tournament, one of the largest of its kind, pitted more than 40 teams from 19 schools against each other in a four-round competition. Competitors included Ivy League rivals Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn and Dartmouth as well as schools as distant as the University of California-Berkeley.

During the competition, teams of three attorneys and three witnesses compete against other similarly composed teams. Each team represents one side of a simulated legal dispute. Judges, attorneys and law students score competitors on their legal and procedural knowledge, quality of arguments and presentation, as well as overall performance. All teams are given pseudonyms to eliminate potential bias on the part of the judges.

One Cornell team -- dubbed "Debbie Gibson," after the teen pop-music diva, was captained by Keith Becker '01, who is president of the Cornell Mock Trial Association, a student group. Team members who acted as attorneys included Becker; Jonathan Scharf and Nadia Drake, both '02; and Martin Crisp '01. Team members who played witnesses were Bethanie Ricketts '02; George Kroup '02; Simon Kizhner '02; and Aleks Ejsmont '01. The team finished 10th in a strong field, with a 3-1 record.

The Cornell team named "Limp Bizkit," after the rock music band, was co-captained by students Melissa Kosack and Lisa Dorfman, both '02. Team members who served as attorneys included Kosack, Dorfman and Jeffrey Bank '03. Witnesses were Steven Pyser '03; Aimee Morgan '02; Brent LaBarge '02; Denise Kees '02; and Aaron Page '03. They finished the tournament at 2-1-1, barely missing the top 10. Their only loss came at the hands of Princeton.

In addition to the team competition, individual awards were given to the top 10 student attorneys and witnesses. Ricketts won the overall award for top witness in the tournament. Becker also received an award, as the second-ranked attorney in the tournament.

The organization will compete next in a regional competition in February 2002, a qualifier for the American Mock Trial Association National Championship.