STLA advances in Buffalo
Georgia State Law's Student Trial Lawyers Association team advanced to the top 16 and Francis Dixon (J.D. '13) earned the Best Closing Argument award in the recent national mock trial competition in Buffalo, N.Y.
The other competing members on Georgia State Law's team were Randal Hughes (J.D. '14), John Eric Schleicher (J.D. '14) and Dustin Thompson (J.D. '14) during the Nov. 8-11 competition won by Florida Coastal.
"We are very happy with the team's performance," said Alex Galvan (J.D. '14), STLA president. "Buffalo is a notably difficult tournament because of the wide range of schools represented. Our team adapted well and held their own."
A total of 40 teams from around the nation competed in the mock trials, trying both sides of a homicide case. The team was coached by former prosecutor and adjunct professor Tom Jones and Andy Hagenbush (J.D. '11) and Madeleine Simmons (J.D. '11).
"The field at Buffalo is incredibly diverse which means that you run into style and trial strategies vastly different from your own," Galvan says. "It can be tough to adapt to such unique approaches to mock trial, but the team managed to do just that. The team did extremely well."