Washburn Law Trial Advocacy Team Finishes as National Semi-Finalist
Round-by-Round Summary of Washburn Law Trial Advocacy Team at ATLA STAC
The Washburn University School of Law Trial Advocacy Team of William Burris, Brette Hart, Nicholas Purifoy, and Thomas Trunnell finished as a semi-finalist at the 2005 Association of Trial Lawyers of America National Student Trial Advocacy Finals Competition (ATLA STAC) held in West Palm Beach, Florida, from April 7-10, 2005. In finishing as one of the top four trial advocacy teams in the nation the Washburn Law team received great respect and praise from the tournament coordinators, local attorneys and judges, and other competitors and their coaches.
The ATLA STAC is the premier civil trial competition in the United States. Mock trials began in February in 14 cities where 223 teams from 138 schools faced each other in regional competition. The top team from each region advanced to the finals.
In the three preliminary rounds of trials the Washburn Law team defeated Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2000 National Champion Samford University Cumberland School of Law, and the University of Buffalo Law School, and emerged with Baylor Law School and the University of North Carolina School of Law as the only undefeated teams. Washburn faced Cumberland again in the quarter-finals, sweeping them 3-0 and advanced to the semi-finals as the number one seed (Baylor was seeded number two, Barry University School of Law number three, and St. Johns University School of Law number four). The Washburn Law team was defeated in the semi-final round by just one ballot (2 points out of 90) by St. Johns. Baylor defeated St. Johns to win the 2005 National Finals Competition. See the round-by-round summary for further details.
Washburn's national finals team earned the right to compete in Florida only after defeating the other Washburn Law Trial Advocacy Team of John (Todd) Hiatt, Christina Waugh, Michael Burbach, and Brandi Studer in the Denver Regional. These students continued practicing with the winning team and are a major factor in overall success of the Washburn Law program.
The Washburn Law Trial Advocacy teams participate under the direction of Michael Kaye, director of the Washburn Law Center for Excellence in Advocacy. The teams are coached by Washburn University School of Law graduate Tad Layton of Coffman, DeFries & Nothern coaches the teams. A number of other Washburn Law alumni also assisted in coaching the student teams in preparation for the competitions.
For more information about ATLA STAC:
- Top eight National Rankings
- Regional Winners
- ATLA Student Trial Advocacy Competition general information
Round-by-Round Summary of Washburn Law Trial Advocacy Team at ATLA STAC
First Round
The first trial, against Loyola University of Chicago, was a solid win for the Washburn team. Their poise, command of the facts and methodical presentation produced a 3-0 win. The second trial was side-tracked by procedural problems involving the Cumberland team's interpretation of the "no facts outside the record" rule. However, this is where the flexibility of the team's trial counsel shined. Brette and Bill were able to handle the challenge gracefully, while Tad and Nick made the appropriate administrative moves to deal with the procedural issue. This was a narrower, 2-1 victory. The third trial was a pure contest. Both Washburn and Buffalo were poised, prepared, and very nearly perfect. But the in-court demonstrations and visual evidence put the Washburn team over the top.
Quarterfinal Round
Washburn's perfect 3-0 record qualified it for a slot in the quarterfinals. The "seeding" system put them in a rematch against Cumberland. The "natural switch" rule dictated that the parties present the opposite case in the rematch. As Washburn was the defendant in the previous meeting, they assumed the plaintiff's case in the next. It was a good contest, but the Washburn team's plaintiff's case was airtight. And in a maneuver that the ruling judge called, "[i]n one word… brilliant," Bill turned the defense's closing argument back against them. That win put Washburn into the semi-final round.
Semi-Final Round
The semi-final round Sunday morning was against St. John's. Washburn again assumed the role of the defendant. In an interesting twist, the St. John's team's strategy seemed to focus on defeating the defendant's case, rather than presenting their own. The attorneys objected early and often. They hammered on minor problems with defense testimony. In the end, they won by 2 points out of a possible 90. The Washburn team clearly established itself as a "formidable force" (another quote from the ruling judge) at the national level.
Summary contributed by Anthony Hunter.
