The Trial Team

Students from each of the three law classes are represented on the FSU Trial Team. First-year students can try out during the spring semester of their 1L year. While many students compete for acceptance onto the team, only those who show outstanding talent are selected. New members enter a rigorous training program designed to teach proper courtroom demeanor, hone their presentation abilities and sharpen their legal reasoning skills. The process includes seminars, practice trials, an intramural competition and a trial practice class specifically designed for team members and taught by renowned trial attorneys. By the end of the fall of their second year, members are ready to compete in and win national advocacy competitions.


2023-2024 Board Members

Wade Headshot

President

Area of Interest:
Criminal litigation and federal government affairs

 

Fabrizia Wade is a 3L member of the Trial Team, currently serving as president. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, where she double majored in English literature and Italian language. Wade is also a proud member of the Black Law Students Association.

This summer, Wade worked at the Department of Corrections in Tallahassee. She spent her summer as an administrative law clerk with specialized training in final orders in response to petitions to initiate rulemaking, bankruptcy filings, and mental health proxies.

Dukstein headshot

Vice President

Hometown:
Oviedo, Florida
Area of Interest:
Criminal defense

 

Dukstein is a 3L member of The Trial Team, currently serving as vice president. She graduated from Rollins College with a major in political science and a minor in German. During her 1L summer, she interned at Joshi Law, a private criminal defense firm in Orlando, where she conducted legal research, reviewed discovery, and assisted with a first-degree murder trial. In the following summer, Dukstein worked as a certified legal intern at the 2nd Circuit Public Defenders office, where she represented and advocated for her clients through negotiation with the prosecution, filing and arguing motions, and going to trial. Dukstein plans on being a public defender after she graduates.

Hirschy headshot

Secretary

Hometown:
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Area of Interest:
Criminal litigation

 

Emma Hirschy is a 3L member of the Trial Team, currently serving as secretary. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she studied judicial politics and Arabic. Hirschy's passion for mock trial competitions began at the age of seventeen, and she continued to foster this interest as an active member of her undergraduate's mock trial team. 

Hirschy holds multiple leadership roles at FSU Law. Beyond her role as the secretary for the Trial Team, Hirschy is the current president of the Association for Criminal Justice and secretary for the Federal Bar Association. Following her graduation, Hirschy has set her sights on working as a prosecutor with the Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office.

Schwan government headshot

Treasurer

Hometown:
Maitland, Florida
Area of Interest:
Criminal litigation

 

Matthew Schwan is a 2L member of the Trial team, currently serving as treasurer. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, with a major in Legal Studies. During his 1L summer, Schwan worked as a law clerk at a local criminal defense firm, Pumphrey Law. While there, he had the opportunity to write motions, conduct legal research, attend court proceedings, and participate in client interviews at the jail.

This spring, he will be a certified legal intern with the 2nd Circuit State Attorney’s Office. He plans to continue working at the State Attorney’s Office into the summer and hopes to receive a post-graduation employment offer. His career goal is to become a criminal litigator and he is grateful for the applicable skills and experiences of The Trial Team. Schwan also serves as the treasurer for the Association for Criminal Justice and president of the Federal Bar Association.

Peter headshot

Social Chair

Hometown:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Area of Interest:
Business litigation

 

Kevin Peter is a 2L member of The Trial Team, currently serving as social chair. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida.

Over the 2023 summer, Peter worked at two different litigation firms in South Florida. He spent the first half of the summer working at a medical malpractice boutique litigation firm in Fort Lauderdale. He spent the second half of the summer working at a general civil litigation firm in Miami. Peter's planned focus following graduation is business litigation.

Locke headshot

Co-Competition Chair

Hometown:
Miami, Florida
Area of Interest:
Criminal litigation

 

Lauren Locke is a 2L member of the Trial Team, currently serving as co-competition chair. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami, where she double majored in Psychology and Political Science. Lauren is also a proud member of the Cuban American Bar Association.

This summer, Lauren worked at the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney as a legal intern. There, she observed trials, conducted legal research, and prepared case briefs.