Florida State Law students win Mock Trial competition

Press Date
November 1, 2010

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University College of Law Mock Trial Team has won first-place in the 2010 E. Earle Zehmer Mock Trial Competition. The event, which was hosted by the Florida Justice Association Young Lawyers Section, was held in Tampa November 20-21. The team was presented with a $1,000 scholarship for winning the competition. 

Winning team members were third-year students Ryan Hoyle, of Tallahassee, and Thomas Philpot, of Pensacola, and second-year students Matt Minnick, of Tallahassee, and Elliott Smith of Lake Mary. They were coached by Clinical Professor Ruth Stone and Maria Santoro, who is the managing partner in the Tallahassee office of George, Hartz & Lundeen. 

“We are all so proud of our Mock Trial Team for winning this important statewide competition,” said Dean Don Weidner. “Special thanks go to the student competitors and to their coaches.” 

Other law schools competing in the event were Florida Coastal, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, St. Thomas University, Stetson University and the University of Miami. 

This mock trial victory adds to a long list of recent competition successes for Florida State’s advocacy teams. In 2010, the Moot Court Team won first place in four national competitions: the Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition, the National Security Law Competition, the Luke Charles Moore Civil Rights Invitational, all held in Washington, D.C., and the Gabrielli National Family Law Competition, held in Albany, New York.