Florida State Bests Harvard in MLK Trial Practice Competition, Hosted by UC Davis Law
News from Magistrate Judge Dennis Cota ’86, a longtime UC Davis Law trial practice instructor and coach:
The annual Martin Luther King Civil Rights Trial Practice Competition was held Oct 16-18. Hosted by King Hall, this competition brought together outstanding student advocates from 22 schools, including Harvard, NYU, UC Hastings, and William and Mary, to appear before federal and state judges and attorneys, alumni and volunteer judges from around the country, including the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Kimberly Mueller.
As a result of the tremendous efforts of these very talented students, their coaches, the many volunteer judges, and the tireless efforts of the students of the UC Davis Trial Practice Honors Board, this year’s competition again distinguished UC Davis School of Law and its Trial Practice Program.
Litigating a complex Eighth Amendment civil rights claim involving involuntary internment of unhoused people, the student advocates demonstrated exceptional preparation, legal knowledge, courtroom skills and creativity.
After hard-fought battles in the semifinals [Brooklyn Law, University of San Diego, Florida State and Harvard University] the final contest ended with Florida State claiming victory over Harvard.
This year’s competition not only attracted the attention of the best trial practice programs in the country, but was the subject of a Soundminds Production podcast out of Seattle. The podcast will feature a multi-episode arc on student mock trial programs and include an extended look at the MLK trial practice competition and the importance of civil rights awareness in our society generally. The podcast is scheduled to be released in March.
In the meantime, a different podcast, Unscripted Direct, which showcases trial practice programs and the growing popularity of student advocate competitions, will highlight the MLK competition on its Thursday, Nov. 4 episode.
The ongoing success of the UC Davis School of Law trial practice program would not be possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our Trial Practice Honors Board, led by President Vivienne Pismarov ‘22, along with her MLK competition and judge recruitment committee chairs and members. The continued support and encouragement of Professor Edward Imwinkelried and the King Hall administration, including Deans Kevin R. Johnson, Afra Afsharipour and Emily Scivoletto, are invaluable to the success of this program.