I will be speaking again at the McGeorge School of Law on November 21, 2011. These speaking engagements came about as the result of Law Professor, Joe Taylor's one year research into the details of the Cobain Case prior to its use as the foundation for this Trial Advocacy program.
Earlier this year, Professor Taylor's research and resulting written manual, was accepted and printed by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, (N.I.T.A.). This means it may now be used at law schools across the country.
The Trial Advocacy case was written as a wrongful death, civil lawsuit. These mock trials are designed to teach, train and prepare law students for the various aspects of actual courtroom trials.
The first run of mock trial jury verdicts in 2009 came back 4 and 4 with one hung jury. This was an indication to me that Professor Taylor's re-scripting and re-naming of the actual Cobain case was very well done for the purpose it was designed to serve.
Professor Taylor sent me a copy of the "Gilbert VS. O'Neil" script far in advance of April 2009, when these mock trials first began.
It was acknowledged from the outset that this fictional case was clearly based on the real Cobain case. The names and many of the circumstances and details were deliberately changed. This enables each of the law students who are assigned to represent either the plaintiff or the defendant, an equal opportunity to present their case to the juries from a more balanced perspective.
Because a different jury is used for each of the mock trials, they are able to reach their own, independant findings, which, similar to life in a real courtroom, is often largely based on the presentation by each participating lawyer, or, in this case, law student. This helps test and critique the skills of the students on an individual basis.
I am extremely honored to have been invited in 2009, then to be invited back this year to speak again to an audience which includes such distinguished guests, along with the attending law students currently being trained to participate in the best legal system in the world.
Thank you to Pacific's McGeorge School of Law and especially to Professor Taylor for your respect, your kindness and your gracious hospitality during my first visit to your Law School.
Thank you also to each of the law students and others who demonstrated courtesy and true professionalism. You all helped make the 2009 visit one of the most gratifying experiences of my professional career!
Tom Grant