The Summer Trial Academy is an intensive, two-week trial advocacy course led by Professor Dana Cole. On the last day of class, 19 upper-level law students were advocates in five simultaneous trials before real judges while entering first-year law students served as witnesses and jurors as part of their orientation to law school. The best advocate in each trial received the “Roo Award“— a brass Zippy kangaroo trophy. This year’s Roo Award winners are Haley Beish, Alex Grossman, Henry Liebermann, Brooke Taylor, and Valeria Walker.

Our advocates were taught and coached by Attorneys Stuart Baker, Susannah Bender, Jessica Forrest, Maxwell Hiltner, Elisabeth Jackson, Donald Malarcik, Noah Munyer, Austin Nagy, David Oeschger, Sharon Ross, Abigail Schock, Rachel Smick, Elaine Souder, Lawrence Vuillemin, and John Watters. Thank you sharing your time and talent with them.

Our presiding judges this year were Summit County Common Pleas Court Judges Kelly McLaughlin and Jennifer Towell, former Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Amy Corrigall Jones, and Summit County Common Pleas Court Magistrates Michael Altvater and Cletus Pullium. Thank you for providing an authentic experience for our law students.
Photos by Professor Dana Cole.