Skip to main content

TJSL Trial Team Wins the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Mock Trial Championship

November 6, 2018

The TJSL Epsten, Grinnell & Howell, APC National Trial Team won the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Mock Trial Championship in an excellent round against the University of San Diego School of Law on November 5. The winning competitors were Toyosi Adesoye (2L), Tyler Barclay (3L), Philip Cavello (2L), and Bethany Nduka (3L).

The ABTL championship title comes with engraving on the ABTL Mock Trial Championship trophy and a $4,000 First Place scholarship award for the Trial Team program. TJSL will house the ABTL trophy until next year’s competition.

In addition, TJSL’s own Bethany Nduka received Honorable Mention distinction for the Tournament’s Best Advocate Award. The Best Advocate Award is determined by total points earned during the preliminary rounds. Ms. Nduka was within one point of the top scorer, prompting a special Honorable Mention Award.

It can’t go without mention that this was an all-team effort, with special thanks to TJSL’s other ABTL team comprising Patricia Madison (3L), Haifa Neshiewat (2L), Philemon Norris (3L), and Kimberly Pok (3L). They competed fiercely through the first two rounds and put hours and hours into practices and scrimmages against their teammates.

The ABTL teams were coached by Adjunct Professors Lea Fields-Bernard, Joshua Jones, and Lilys McCoy. Adjunct Professor Josh Brisbane, alumna Alexandra Lorens (’17), and other members of the 2018-2019 Team jumped in and helped out because of a very short lead time on the release of the fact pattern. 

The TJSL Trial Team also competed at two other competitions this Fall: San Diego Defense Lawyers and California Association of Criminal Justice Mock Trial Competitions. Team members Jillian Connery (3L), Sofia Flores (3L), Sarah Sullivan (2L), and Jenna Juliano (2L) did a superb job at CACJ. Marisa Jimenez (3L), Laura Palacios (3L), Zafir Huq (3L), and Taylor Donoho (2L) reached the Semi-Finals at SDDL – an amazing accomplishment; and Sheldon Hunte (3L), Cierra McGill (3L), Ashley Maxwell (3L), and Malcolm Warren (3L) impressed the judges with their terrific advocacy through the preliminary rounds at SDDL.

Finally, and most important, the Team prepared for and competed at the competitions with dignity, integrity, and professionalism.