SMU Mock Trial Program Rocks Regional Competition

by Mackenzie Ferch (B.A. Journalism, ’14)

SMU Mock Trial’s Red and Blue teams proved victorious at the Dallas Regional Mock Trial Competition, hosted by the University of Texas at Dallas Feb. 14-16. With no losses and an impressive 7-0-1 record, the Red Team snagged second place among 21 competing teams, while the Blue Team took sixth place with five wins. In addition, SMU Mock Trial received three individual awards. From the Red Team, Haley High received an Outstanding Attorney Award and Kaitlin Wetz received an Outstanding Witness Award. From the Blue Team, Katherine Montgomery received an Outstanding Witness Award.

Both the Red and Blue teams will move on to the Opening Round Championship, scheduled to take place March 21-23 in Memphis, Tenn., to vie for a chance to attend the national competition. SMU Mock Trial’s White Team will compete in the Jackson, Miss. Regional Mock Trial Competition, to be held Feb. 21-23 at Mississippi College.

“To have both of our SMU teams place in the top six is really outstanding,” said coach Christina de la Garza, an attorney with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, L.L.P. in Dallas. “We are incredibly proud of the students’ hard work, and thrilled that they’ve gotten the results they deserve.”

SMU’s Mock Trial Program is part of the Division of Communication Studies at Meadows School of the Arts and is led by Dr. Chris Salinas, who serves as the faculty advisor for SMU Mock Trial and the director of public discourse at SMU.

Read more and get involved in the SMU Mock Trial Program, check out the SMU Mock Trial Facebook page and follow the program @SMU_MockTrial.