UCLA’s undergraduate mock trial team powered past New York University to win the 2011 National Collegiate Mock Trial Championship in Des Moines, Iowa on April 17, 2011. The Bruins also won the national title in 2004 and 2005, making this UCLA’s third championship title.
The Mock Trial competition is sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association and featured almost 600 teams from colleges & universities across the United States. After Regional Tournaments around the nation, the top 48 teams competed in Des Moines (in two divisions) for the right to compete in the championship round. UCLA’s Team 1493 won their division with a 6-2 record after beating Bowling Green, Georgetown, Harvard and Virginia, solidifying their spot in the final round. They then competed against NYU (the 2010 National Champions) in front of five judges from the Iowa Supreme, Appellate, Federal and Trial Courts and won the championship with a decisive 4-1 victory.
The UCLA Mock Trial program is sponsored by the UCLA Anderson School of Management Undergraduate Accounting Program. Gonzalo Freixes, Associate Dean of Professional MBA Programs, teaches Business Law at UCLA Anderson and has served as the faculty sponsor and attorney coach for the UCLA teams for the last 11 years. UCLA Mock Trial is composed of 40 students who make up the four competitive teams, each of which competes at the Western Regional Tournament in Los Angeles. Team 1493 won the Los Angeles Regional Tournament with a perfect record of 8-0, and had a record of 7-1 at the Western Regional Tournament in Irvine.
In competitions, the students present the Plaintiff or Defense side of a criminal or civil case against another school. Each side presents an opening statement, direct & cross examination of three witnesses and a closing argument. Real judges and attorneys score and preside over the rounds and award points for student attorney and witness performances. Student attorneys must learn how to examine witnesses, introduce exhibits into evidence, argue evidentiary objections, argue the law, and present the facts of the case. Students also portray the witness roles. The UCLA attorney students this year presented their case with exceptional poise, effective examination techniques, and a profound knowledge of objections while the student witnesses regaled audiences and judges with credible and entertaining testimony. Students must master legal analysis, oral presentation & argument, poise, teamwork and effective questioning to succeed.
The winning team featured Jake Perkowski and James Caress as captains. Other student attorneys were Amanda Mundell, Alexander Hill and Brandon Hughes. Iain Lampert, Carol McBirney and Megan Timpane portrayed student witnesses. Carol has an Anderson connection as a Senior Clerk at the Fully Employed MBA Program at UCLA Anderson. Amanda Mundell received an All-American witness award (these awards are given to the top 10 student-witnesses competing). The team was coached by UCLA Alumnus Nathan Smith, with help from Keith Fichtelman, Stephen Borello and Michael Kelly. While many of our students end up going to law school, some do pursue their MBA degrees. We have two former championship tournament competitors from the UCLA Mock Trial program pursuing their MBA degrees at UCLA Anderson: Peri Baker (FEMBA Class of 2012) and Marissa Levi (incoming MBA Class of 2013).
For further information about the UCLA Mock Trial Program or the 2011 Championship victory, please contact:
Prof. Gonzalo Freixes gonzalo.freixes@anderson.ucla.edu or 661-878-2401
Jake Perkowski jakeperkowski@gmail.com or 949-683-6710
James Caress jlwc91@gmail.com or 831-578-2021
American Mock Trial Assoc. www.collegemocktrial.org or (515) 283-0803
Digital photographs of the winning team or contact information about remaining student participants are also available upon request.
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
Celebrating 75 years of Business Beyond Usual, UCLA Anderson School of Management is regarded among the leading business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty members are globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides a distinctive approach to management education to more than 1,800 students enrolled in its MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 37,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.