September 28, 2007

Lawyers sharpen skills at NITA training program

Silver Bells and summations wafted through the halls of William Mitchell College of Law last month during the National Institute for Trial Advocacy North Central Trial Skills Program.

The five-day, intensive, learn-by-doing program teaches participants skills in case analysis, jury selection, opening and closing statements, witness examination, and use of evidence. The program ends with a full-day mock trial. More than 20 experienced trial attorneys and judges from the area volunteered to teach the courses and act as judges for the mock trials.
Although singing was not required of this year’s 27 participants, Chicago housing attorney William Moore crooned the Christmas carol to set the scene during his closing argument in a pedestrian/vehicle accident case. The church choir member said he was simply following teachers’ advice to be himself in the courtroom.

NITA Program Director and William Mitchell Professor John Sonsteng praised the creativity and diversity of the participants, which included a mountain climber and a resident of the Virgin Islands, and faculty such as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Johnson and Judge Kathleen Gearin, ’75 from the Second Judicial District of the Minnesota District Court. This was the third year Mitchell hosted the program.

“William Mitchell was a perfect location for NITA’s trial program,” said Wendy Velez, NITA director of programs. “The mock courtrooms with state-of-the-art technology were a terrific value to the learning experience of our participants.”
Slate Stern, an attorney from New Mexico who scaled Mount Everest—twice--compared going to trial to mountain climbing. In both instances, you have to make split-second decisions, he said. “If you ask the wrong question or put your foot in the wrong place, it could have dire consequences.”

Nycole Thompson discovered that after two years as a personal injury attorney in the Virgin Islands, she is “a work in progress” and welcomed the opportunity to practice her trial skills.

Paul Enrique, an attorney from Dallas who critiqued participants’ skills said he’s learned a lot in the 15 years that he has volunteered as a NITA faculty member. “It polishes my skills to show them their skills,” he said.