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Mock
trial team starts on the right track
Dan Barone, ‘05
 Villanova’s
recently founded mock trial team has become an instant success. The team
was started last year by their captain, Brian Collins, and already has
made an impact on the national scene. In February, they scored points
against some of the nation’s best at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament
of the American Mock Trial Association at the University of Maryland.
Faculty advisor and coach of the team, Arthur Shuman, called their accomplishment
“phenomenal,” and likened their performance to “a first
year basketball team not only making, but advancing past the first round
of the NCAA tournament.”
The team’s success was highlighted by the “outstanding new
school” award that they received at the competition. Team member
Paul Vitale also received the award for “most outstanding witness”.
In their four trials, the team came away with one victory, one draw, and
two defeats. The two defeats, however, came at the hands of William and
Mary, and Pittsburgh, who were two of the five teams advancing to the
national finals.
The team, which competed in several invitational tournaments as well this
year, had been preparing for the regional competition since August. They
hope to expand their membership, and use their new-found experience to
advance further in the competition next year. Other members of the team
include, Jill Kingsland, Mike Shiposh, Krista Hankins, Mike Hoyer, Blake
Terreri, Leslie Harkness and Jordan Rushie. The team was also assisted
by another coach, Richard Michaelson, who is a trial lawyer in Philadelphia.
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