Mock Trial Team Advances

For the third consecutive year, Dickinson’s mock trial team has advanced to the opening round of the national tournament, to be held March 12 and 13 at Pace University Law School in White Plains, N.Y.

Dickinson’s team earned the bid to nationals after competing in the regional tournament in Philadelphia last week. This year’s case problem involves a claim by a parent against a toy manufacturer, alleging that the toy contained a dangerous chemical that caused the death of a child.  Four students won awards at the Philadelphia tournament: Mary Kate Skehan ’12 was named an All-Region Best Witness, and Anna Aroutiounian ’11, Austin Farneth ’12 and Reco Sanders ’11 were named All-Region Best Attorneys. 

The other schools that advanced to the opening round from Philadelphia are Drexel University, Georgetown University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Temple University, Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Dickinson team that will compete in White Plains includes Aroutiounian, Farneth, Sanders, Darcy Benson ’14, Jessica Colliver ’11, Gina Del Rio ’13, MaKayla Hanington ’13, Jenna Long ’12, William Nelligan ’14, and Hannah Shaffer ’13.

Douglas Edlin, associate professor of political science, coaches Dickinson's team with Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas Judge Edward Guido ’72. 

“Dickinson has established itself as one of the stronger mock trial programs in the Northeast, and as one of the elite teams in the country among liberal-arts colleges,” Edlin said.