Bar News - November 13, 2009
UNH Mock Trial Competition Draws Wide Support
By: Charles T. Putnam
 Scene from Mock Trial at UNH. | There was a veritable "litigation explosion" in Durham the weekend of Oct. 24-25 as 16 teams from 10 different colleges and universities took part in 32 mock jury trials during a two-day mock trial tournament at UNH’s Murkland Hall. Ninety-six student "attorneys" and student "witnesses" took part in the competition. Forty attorneys, judges, professors and law students acted as judges.
Attorney Erik Moskowitz from the firm of Gallagher, Callahan and Gartrell in Concord, who has served ably as assistant coach, pitched in to make the tournament run smoothly.
Each of the attorneys who took part made a huge contribution to the program in "monetary equivalent" terms; each devoted about four hours of his/her time for each round. Stephen White, Law Office of Terry R. White, II, Kingston, judged four rounds; Moskowitz participated both days and several evenings, working with the UNH teams. Thomas Velardi, Strafford County Attorney’s Office, Dover, participated in three rounds. Several other attorneys judged two rounds each.
Attorney Lauren Thorn, Administrative Office/District Courts, Concord, has a special connection to the UNH program as her son is a member of the team . She judged two rounds and came a day early to watch another round so she would have a good feel for mock-trial conventions.
Charles T. Putnam is co-director of Justiceworks at the University of New Hampshire. He may be reached at (603) 862-7041.
Photostream that contains many photo images of the event.
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