1. HOME
2.  » NEWS
3.  » eNews Archive
4.  » 2013 eNews Archive
5.  » March 2013
6.  » Feature TYLA Project

Feature TYLA Project

TYLA/ACTL National Trial Competition - Advocacy at its Best
By: Wendy Adele Humphrey, TYLA District 3 Director, NTC Co-Chair

A famous musician.  Drugs.  Death.  Yes – it’s that time of the year again – time for the top 28 law school mock trial teams in the nation to compete in the National Trial Competition!  The 38th annual National Trial Competition (NTC), which is hosted by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers, will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on April 3-6, 2013.  More than 320 law school mock trial teams competed in regional competitions last month and the top two teams from each of the 14 regions will compete in the national competition. Click here to view the 28 teams participating in this year’s national competition.

The National Trial Competition was established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen law students’ advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar.  The program is designed to expose law students to the nature of trial practice and to serve as a supplement to their legal education.  Thea Whalen, a 2001 NTC champion and the current NTC Regional Liaison, explains that “[t]he caliber of judges and the prestige of the ACTL lets law students know how important the bar takes this competition.  And, TYLA’s efforts in securing volunteer witnesses enables the students to have a much more realistic experience compared to other competitions.”  Other past winners of the national competition have shared their memories of competing and one similar theme resonates:  The experience has given them assurance of their abilities and valuable professional contacts.

This year the national mock trial problem is State v. Martin and the problem as written by ACTL member Marvin W. Jones.  The State of Lone Star has charged Dr. John Martin with manslaughter for the death of a famous entertainer, David Kitner (a/k/a “Special Kit”).  Dr. Martin was Kinter’s personal physician, and the State alleges that he administered a pharmaceutical drug, Propofol, to Kitner when he was aware that Kitner was in a condition such that the administration of the drug presented a substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing, and did in fact cause, Kitner’s death.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?  The NTC Committee is currently recruiting (1) judges, (2) testifying witnesses, and (3) bailiffs (timekeepers) for the mock trial rounds on Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th.  If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, please visit www.sayla.org and click on the competition link.