DALLAS – NOV. 3, 2011
This fall, thousands of eager high school students from across the state volunteer to participate in the 33rd Annual Texas Mock Trial Competition (TMTC). J. Sean Lemoine, an attorney and partner with the commercial law firm Wick Phillips, has volunteered to coach a team of ninth grade students from A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School in South Dallas.
Lemoine began working with his team of 7-10 students in mid-October, and has already implemented a program of study that instructs his team about the fictional case they will try during the regional competition. As a partner with the litigation section of Wick Phillips, Lemoine specializes in commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He has successfully represented clients through the completion of trial, arbitration, and mediation in a variety of complex commercial litigation disputes, and wanted to bring some of this expertise to future law students.
“This is a very popular program among students who are interested in learning about the judicial system,” said Lemoine, who is volunteering as a TMTC coach for the first time. “Each year, teachers, attorneys and other professionals volunteer time to work with the students interested in the competition. TMTC is an extra-curricular activity for these students, and the time and commitment they put into the competition is impressive. For a coach, it is particularly rewarding to be able to encourage the next generation of aspiring attorneys, and watch them gain poise and confidence as they work their way through the competition.”
According to Lemoine, the work is demanding as team members must learn and present both the plaintiff and defense side of each case study. Coaches work with members of the team, helping them learn the facts of the case, create trial strategies, understand basic rules of evidence, and make a proper presentation before the court. During the proceedings, the students take on the roles of both attorneys and witnesses as they compete in local-area competitions.
The regional meets are usually held between January 15-February 15 at a local courthouse or legal institution. The winners of the local meets advance to the State Competition which is held in Dallas during the first weekend of March. The final champion team will be selected to represent the state of Texas at the National Competition, which is held in May.
Open to any high school age student in public, private or homeschool who has an interest in law, students can register for the TMTC by Dec. 15, 2011 at http://www.dallasbar.org/mocktrial.
About Wick Phillips: Serving the legal needs of businesses in a broad range of industries, Wick Phillips practices law with purpose. Specialty areas include commercial litigation, bankruptcy, creditor’s rights, civil appeals, corporate, corporate advisory, labor and employment, and securities. For more information visit www.wickphillips.com.
