Nov. 4, 2003

Law and Order

Facing Off at GW Law School’s Cohen and Cohen Mock Trial

By Greg Licamele

As the bailiff bellowed, “Court is now in session,” the packed room waited with anticipation as both teams of lawyers presented their cases in the murder trial against a prominent lawyer. The testimony of four witnesses was sandwiched by dramatic opening and closing statements from the defense and prosecution teams. Two judges patiently listened and dispensed rulings in the Jacob Burns Moot Courtroom.

This scene unfolded at the Law School’s Cohen & Cohen Mock Trial Competition as students witnessed twists and turns of a trial. Filled with murder, drugs, sex and manipulation, this case about a defense attorney allegedly killing one of his girlfriends allowed students the chance to feel the pressure of a trial.

Though the jury seats were filled, no verdict was given in the case. The judges scored each of the final two teams in several categories on a scale of 1–10. The four competitors were whittled down over 11 days from preliminary rounds that began with 30 teams of two students presenting this same case used in a national competition last year.

“The Cohen & Cohen Mock Trial Competition was a great success for the Law School and the competitors,” said Kenneth Clark, a member of the Mock Trial Board. “Every student in the competition put in an amazing amount of work. We can only hope that students competing in future events put in half as much effort. In addition, the competition could not have worked out so well without the dedication of the many practitioner judges who devoted large portions of their Saturdays and evenings to presiding and scoring.”

Second-year students Ron Chester and Sogand Zamani, who represented the state in the finals, netted the top honors. The defense team consisted of second-year students Stefan Brutsch and Ken Moore.

“The finalists, by the time they reached the last round, had presented this case four times in competition and once in a scrimmage,” Clark said. “The Law School rewarded all this work with one credit going to each competitor.”

The teams needed to prepare opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations, and become familiar with rules of evidence they might not already have known. A written requirement asked students to prepare pre-trial motions.
Based upon their performance in these competitions, top student litigators are selected to represent the Law School at interscholastic competitions across the nation. The Law School has achieved national recognition based on the success of Mock Trial Board members in these competitions.

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