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GENERAL SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR/COACH

Robert G. Smith , Esq.
Melvin & Melvin, PLLC
217 South Salina Street, 7th Floor
Syracuse, New York 13202

COACHES

Iman Abraham, Esq.
The Law Firm of Frank W. Miller
Attorneys and Counselors at Law
6575 Kirkville Road
East Syracuse, NY 13057

Julia Joyce
Third-year law student
Syracuse University College of Law

Kristen Jones
Second-year law student
Syracuse University College of Law

BAILIFF
Hilary Eisenberg
Sophomore, The College of Arts and Sciences

COURSE MATERIALS

Mock Trials - Preparing, Presenting, and Winning Your Case (National Institute for Trial Advocacy [NITA], 2001) - Available at the SU Bookstore

Case materials may be downloaded from the American mock Trail Association (AMTA) website: www.collegemocktrial.org

You may access the other areas of the AMTA website without the username and password (available for the coaches). In addition to the case you must download the Midlands Rules of Evidence (MRE) and the AMTA Rulebook. On the AMTA website go "Mock Trial" then to "Rule and Policies" where you will find the MRE and the Rulebook. For students, the pertinent part of the rulebook is Chapter 8: Trial Procedures

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
handouts or on reserve at the library

CLASSROOMS:

DESCRIPTION

This course will prepare you to take part in an intercollegiate competition sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). Beyond that, the course is designed to provide an introduction to the theory and practice of conducting a trial in a court of law. Students are required to learn evidence, ethics, procedure and trial technique. The course includes overview of legal system and judicial processes pertaining to trials . At the end of the course you should have a clear understanding of the role of the law that pertains to trials and the techniques of successful trial advocacy.

AMTA competitions involve 24-48 teams competing against each other in pairs. Teams try the same cse four (4) times over 2-3 days. There are Invitational, Regional, and Super Regional comepetitions, which culminate in the National Championship held April 10-12, 2009 in Des Moines, Iowa. Syracuse University will host a Regional Competition February 13-15, 2009. In order to compete, you must try out for and make one of the teams. Tryouts will be held on October 8 and 11, 2008 after six weeks of classes that willa be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. After tryouts practices will be held Mondays and Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. - noon. there are plans for two (2) teams of eight (8) members each and, if there is enough interest and an available coach, possibly a third team. If you do not make one of the teams, you are still invited to participate in practices if you want to continue to learn about trial advocacy. Last year, a third team was made up of such students and they competed in one Invitational comeptition at a Regional competition.

OBJECTIVES

Expose students to the theory of the American trial system.
Teach students the theories and practice of effective trial technique, evidence and ethics.
Teach rules of evidence, rules of procedure, necessity of civility in the courtroom and global theory of case presentation.
Prepare students for participation in intercollegiate trial competition.
Lay a foundation for future study of law.

EXPECTATIONS

Attendance. The material you are expected to master is not in a single book. Rather it is a combination of individual study, attendance at the scheduled lectures, and participating in the exercises that will be assigned. Therefore, if you are serious about becoming a member of Syracuse University’s AMTA team, you must attend class. Class attendance is required and I will circulate an attendance sign-in sheet at the beginning of every class. If you cannot attend class because of emergency circustances (requirement of another class, illness, death in the family, etc.), you are responsible of contacting Kristen Jones at least 24 hours in advance, failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence. If you are late for class three times, the third and each subsequent instance will be treated as an unexcused absence. If you are going to be late please alert Kirsten 24 hours in advance. After try-outs, any team member who has more than three unexcused absences will be removed from the team.
Instructor and Student dynamic. You are not my customers. You are students. Failure in an exercise or assignment is an opportunity to learn. When you fail, I intend to call that to your attention, lest you miss an educational opportunity.
Communication. Email is a preferred method of communication. You must signup for the mock trail listserv and check it at least once a day. When information is sent to class and team members, it will be sent to the listserv. Failure to check your listserv e-mail is not an excuse for failure to complete work or attend a meeting. Generally, after business hours, I will not be checking my e-mail until the next business day. If a matter is urgent or a question is pressing, feel free to leave a message for me at my office.
Shortcuts to success in this course. As in life there are none.
Stupid questions. There are none.
Socratic Method. I will use it, so be prepared. If you are prepared, you will enjoy learning using this method. If you are not prepared it will be obvious to all. If you don’t know what the Socratic method is, see #5 above.
Demeanor/Classroom Environment. You must act professionally and responsibly while using the facilities, whether that be at class, competition or in a small group meeting. Please act professionally and responsibly while using the facilities. Beyond your presence and active participation in class, you must exhibit other behaviors that have a net positive influence on your peers. You will represent Syracuse University around the nation if you are selected to be a member of the team.Therefore, courtesy is of the utmost importance. You are no longer the most important person, regardless of what your upbringing may have taught you. Discourteous, rude or disrespectful attitudes will not serve you well in life and therefore, will not serve you well in this course and will not be tolerated. Cell phones and pagers disrupt any environment in which people are attempting to pursue a common goal (e.g., in a business meeting, classroom, or in a theater) and therefore are not allowed. Turn them off unless you have sought and received specific permission on a specific occasion from your instructor. Reading the newspaper, doing homework, or engaging in other behaviors that show you are uninterested in what is happening in the classroom is equally discourteous and disruptive. Your responsibility is to be a net positive contributor to every Mock Trial experience. Any behavior that detracts from this responsibility is unacceptable.
Honesty. In today’s business and legal environment, integrity and honesty are more important than they have ever been, and you should learn now that cheating, even though you may get away with it and it may get you the result you think you desire, will not make you a person of character and integrity that today’s businesses value and demand.
Spring Break. If selected for a Spring Team, you will not be going on spring break.There are no exceptions.
Credit. If you would like to receive academic credit for the course, you will need to fill out an independent study form. You may receive one (1) credit per semester for a total of four (4) credits over your entire undergraduate career. You can select which semester you would prefer the credits to appear. Your grade will reflect your level of effort, participation and attendance.