Panther Mock Trial: New undergraduate organization to help pre-law students

Jasiel Lopez/Staff Writer

When Bruno Paes-Leme, a junior in international business, began his college career the University of Florida, where he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Today, Paes-Leme is co-captain of a mock trial team that has successfully represented FIU in two trial team competitions.  

“I stumbled upon this activity and doing it made me realize that law was for me that this is what I was meant to do,” said Paes-Leme.

Mock trials are simulation of courtroom trials in which student teams from different universities compete against one another. The two teams are provided with a case, each team must prepare arguments for the prosecution side and the defense side of the case. The teams then alternate in representing the prosecution and defendant, as in a traditional criminal case.

Panther Mock Trial, FIU’s undergraduate mock trial team, competes under the American Mock Trial Association. Founded in 1965, AMTA is comprised of approximately 600 teams competing in dozens of tournaments. AMTA’s website says that through mock trial competitions “students develop critical thinking and public speaking skills, as well as a knowledge of legal practices and procedures.”

Dane Pennerman who serves as the team’s defense captain, thinks that organizations like Panther Mock Trial are vital to students interested in going to law school.

“In pre-law there isn’t an actual major or special track to help you prepare for law school, like medical students have pre-med. There’s nothing like that for pre-law students,” said Pennerman.

The team started last year in August after several students came together to create an organization based on mock trials in which they had participated in the past.

“[For] one of my instructors, her final is a mock trial and we thought how fun it would be to create an organization in which we can be more inclusive to the entire university.”

The team initially struggled to secure funding or recognition from the university to compete in tournaments.

“We reached out to different departments, we reached out to Council of Student Organizations we reached out SIPA, the Honors College, the College of Law to see what department would recognize us, it was a lot of back and forth,” said Pennerman

Despite the initial lack of support, Panther Mock Trial was able to self-fund their trip to the Southeastern Regional Tournament in Orlando, Florida on Feb 23. There, they not only successfully qualified for the Opening Round Championships Series, but two team members, Gabriella Pinzon and Mekha Abraham, also won Outstanding Attorney awards.

“We were one of the few programs in their first year to qualify out of regionals. It was our first tournament, we got a few wins and that really got us excited,” said Paes-Leme.

The team competed in the ORCS tournament in Wilmington, Delaware on March 10-11. However, the team did not qualify to advance to the National Championship.

Both Pennerman and Paes-Leme believe that the mock trial competition is invaluable beyond the skills that are gained through competing.

“I think it is the best activity to get yourself involved at the undergraduate if you’re someone considering law school or if you just want to have fun and be engaged in an educational activity,” said Paes-Leme.

The trial team is open to all majors and there are roles to be played besides those of attorney. Theater majors, for example, can also participate, especially in witness roles according to Pennerman.

Both team captains encourage members of the FIU community to be part of the first ever undergraduate mock trial team. They believe it provides valuable lessons and experiences that are not just academic.

“The friendships and comradery formed with the people you’re competing with is second to none. We really are a team and more so than that we’ve become a family,” said Paes-Leme.

 

Feature Image courtesy of Bruno Paes-Leme.