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K-State Today

November 19, 2015

K-State Mock Trial Team hosts first tournament

Submitted by Daralyn Arata

Tournament logo

The Kansas State University Mock Trial Team hosted its first tournament, The Little Apple Mock Trial Invitational, on Oct. 2-4.

Formed seven years ago, the K-State Mock Trial Team worked diligently to ensure the success of its first home tournament. It was a great turnout with Baylor University, Saint Louis University, University of Kansas, University of Missouri, Kansas City and University of Arkansas all in attendance.

The K-State team members earned several awards at the tournament. Nicholas Orth, a senior in political science and pre-law, and Robbie Gorton, a senior in construction science and management, both received Best Attorney awards for their outstanding performances. Orth is a team captain who has been on the team for three years and has won attorney and witness awards in the past. This is Gorton’s first year on the team and he hopes to continue his success throughout the season.

K-State's Mock Trial Team won the Spirit of AMTA, or American Mock Trial Association, award, which team members chose to name the Wabash Cannonball award, with trophy sponsorship by the Manhattan Trust Co. This award is given to the team that was the most friendly and sportsmanlike to its competitors while retaining a professional demeanor.

The two teams from Baylor University took first and third and the University of Kansas took second place. First-place trophy sponsorship was by the Riley County Bar Association. The 12 competing teams required 12 judges per round. These volunteers consisted of local judges, attorneys, members of the Fort Riley JAG Corp and K-State faculty members. The tournament was four rounds of competition over three days, with each round lasting approximately three hours. This tournament was the first opportunity for many of the schools to see how their case theory would play out in a live round.

The K-State team is grateful for the support of the Office of Pre-Law Advising and the K-State communication studies department. The team also is indebted to the support of its dedicated coaches who have volunteered their time to the team for more than four years. Attorneys Benjamin Long, Kansas City, and Britain Stites, Junction City, commute to and from K-State weekly to coach the team in crafting legal arguments.

A special thanks to the Mock Trial Team's sustaining sponsors, Washburn School of Law and KU School of Law. Without their generous contributions, this event would have not been possible.