This past year, a team of DePaul College of Law volunteers worked with Legal Prep Charter Academy ninth graders to prepare them for their end of the year mock trial competition, which took place on Tuesday, May 13, 2013 at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse Building.
DePaul worked with two groups of Legal Prep students and both groups won their competitions. The case was a civil matter involving an allegation that a police officer used excessive force when arresting a teenage boy, who was the plaintiff. The DePaul teams represented the defense.
Several
DePaul volunteers also served as judges for other teams, including College of
Law Dean Greg Mark, alumna Linda Bryceland (JD '86), and Pro Bono
Director Cheryl
Price. Professor Mark Moller, alumna Jessica Schneider (JD '10), College of
Law staff member Elizabeth Boe, and law student Beckee Birger coached the
DePaul teams during the competition. Dean Mark was the only law school dean who volunteered
to assist at the competition.
For many of the students, the mock trial program was their first in-depth study of our legal system and the components of a trial. The Legal Prep students prepared and delivered both opening and closing statements and called witnesses for direct and cross examination. DePaul volunteers, who have been working with Legal Prep students since September 2012, first taught lessons on these topics and then helped students prepare their parts for the mock trial.
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