Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Tue, 19 Nov 2013
Dave Thompson
Liberty University School of Law Trial Team took the top prize at The Carolinas Invitational Mock Trial Tournament last weekend.
The team, one of two representing Liberty at the Charlotte tournament, defeated Florida Coastal School of Law to win the tournament, after topping Charlotte School of Law to advance to the final round.
The first-place team consisted of Colin Campbell, Ethan Hargraves, John Kinney and Kacey Martin.
Campbell was named the tournament's best advocate, the first time Liberty's team had won that award.
Coach Pamela Bell, associate professor of Law, praised both of her teams' work and demeanor throughout the tournament.
"Both teams competed at a high level of skill, and more importantly, they all were professional and courteous to everyone they encountered," Bell said.
"They truly reflected Christ to those they met," she said.
"We give God all the glory for this win. The team exists to serve Him, help advance the mission of our law school and university, and to bring honor and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ."
Liberty's second team, consisting of Andrew Ferrell, Melanie Caldwell, Amanda Horne and Michael Sharp, did not advance to the semifinal round, though Bell praised their efforts, saying the team did "an amazing job" in the preliminary rounds.
Both Liberty teams competed against Charlotte School of Law in the preliminary rounds.
The first-place team also competed against Campbell School of Law in the preliminary stage, while Liberty's second team also faced Florida Coastal School of Law.
Liberty will keep the traveling trophy for the next year, but return it for the next tournament with the school's name engraved on it. That trophy will be replaced with a permanent addition for Liberty's trophy collection.