Trial Ad team competes in Cola mock trial

The Charleston School of Law Trial Advocacy Team competed in the Trials and Tribulations Mock Trial Competition hosted by the University of South Carolina School of Law in April.

This year’s case was a murder trial, based loosely on the Alec Murdaugh criminal investigations with hints of characters from the nationally-recognized case.

The appearance marked the first year the Charleston Law team was invited to the annual competition. The invitation-only tournament featured 14 law schools from across the country.

The Charleston School of Law consisted of eight students:

    • Rhonda Vuletich (3L)
    • Alex Harrison (3L)
    • Amanda Belfiore
    • Gabe Ingram
    • Zenia Irani
    • Jessica Karikas
    • Cara Leinemann
    • Brittany Schelper

Each competitor was able to compete as an advocate in at least one round, with the other teammates serving as witnesses.

The Charleston Law team was recognized as “Best Overall Advocate” or “Second Best Overall Advocate” during multiple rounds of the competition.

Karikas, Vuletich, and Ingram were named “Best Overall Advocate” in Rounds One, Two, and Four, respectively. In addition, Schelper received a perfect score for her opening and was named “Best Overall Advocate.”

The mission of the Charleston School of Law Trial Advocacy Board (TAB) is to prepare students to become ethical, experienced, and zealous lawyer-advocates.

Participation is founded upon a student’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence in advocacy and to ethically represent the Charleston School of Law through dedication and compliance with each team’s rigorous and demanding practice schedule, when representing the Charleston School of Law in trial advocacy competitions throughout the nation.

If you are a Charleston School of Law student and you are interested in joining the Trial Ad Board, please reach out to one of the team members for more information on the Fall selection process.

CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW QUICK FACTS

The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.

  • The Princeton Review ranks Charleston School of Law professors second in the country for faculty accessibility (2021)
  • Charleston School of Law faculty ranked among the top of The Princeton Review’s list of Best Professors in the nation (2016-2018)
  • Experiential Learning: Charleston School of Law students have access to more than 150 externship sites, creating opportunities for experiential learning in the legal field.
  • Community Service: Charleston School of Law students have performed more than 241,000 community service hours (2004-current).
  • Students have won the National Tax Moot Court Championship for seven consecutive years (2012-2018)

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