STLA team advances to semi-finals in Puerto Rico
November 10, 2010
ATLANTA -- A team from Georgia State University College of Law's Student Trial Lawyers Association reached the semi-finals in the Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition October 29-30.
The team was represented by student attorneys/witnesses Andrew Hagenbush and Madeleine Peake for the prosecution, and Zachary Harris and Maria Batres for the defense. Peake was recognized at the awards banquet for receiving a perfect 10.5 score during the competition.
The competition was held in Old San Juan’s historic federal courthouse, which currently houses the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, among other courts. The competition consisted of 10 teams from law schools across the country and involved a felony murder and armed robbery case.
The first day of competition, Georgia State competed against Arkansas in the morning, with Harris and Batres representing the defendant, while Hagenbush and Peake served as witnesses. The Georgia State team won that round. That afternoon, Georgia State competed against Tulane, with Hagenbush and Peake representing the prosecution, and Harris and Batres playing witnesses. The Georgia State team won that round as well. That evening, the four teams with the highest scores were introduced, and advanced to semi-finals: Harvard, Georgetown, Georgia State and St. John’s.
Georgia State was paired with Harvard the following morning in the semi-final round. Hagenbush and Peake put up a hard fight, but with nearly every evidentiary ruling going against them, they ultimately lost to Harvard. This was the first time Georgia State STLA competed in the Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy competition, and overall, they view it as a huge success. The team was coached by head coach Tom Jones and Cheryl Champion-White of Champion Legal Services.
Pictured above from left to right: Hagenbush, Batres, Peake and Harris.
Contact:
Wendy Cromwell
Director of Communications
404.413.9050