The UMKC School of Law mock trial team struck again. From Thursday, March 16 to Saturday, March 18, a team of four students competed in the National Criminal Justice Trial Competition in Chicago, IL. This makes the third consecutive UMKC advance to the final four round of a competition this spring.
They team consisted of Keegan Tinney (2L), Ryan Krupp (2L), Dillon Cook (2L) and Amy Jackson (3L). The team was divided into two groups. They competed against New York University School of Law and Fordham University School of Law in the semi-final round of the competition.
The case concerned a sexual abuse charge where a high school teacher was accused of molesting her 17-year-old student. Krupp, partnered with Jackson, worked together on the prosecutor’s side whereas Tinney and Cook took on on the defendant’s side. The team believed they did their best and expressed how many lessons they learned from competing.
Krupp commented highly on his teammates, identifying them as organized, smooth, determined and creative. The team was coached by Professors Michaelle Tobin and Rafe Foreman. Foreman has served as the Douglas R. Stripp Distinguished Professor Law and Director of the Advocacy Program at UMKC Law since 2011. Krupp said that both coaches helped the team from the very beginning of their case preparation. Tobin helped shape the team’s argument structure, case presentation and court craft.
The UMKC School of Law Trial Advocacy Program was given a national ranking by US News and World Report, coming in 21st in the nation with Stanford University, University of Georgia, University of Houston and Campbell University in North Carolina. This is also the first time UMKC Law has advanced in the National Trial Competition and the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Student Trial Advocacy Competition in the same year. Each year, approximately 25 students compete in the school’s national teams and participate in 10 to 12 competitions throughout the year. Foreman and Tobin lead the program, with the generous help of alumni and numerous donors and sponsors. The School of Law recently received a $1.4 million gift from the Kemper Foundation, which will be used to increase the Stripp Professor Endowment and convert it to a chair and provide two Advocacy Fellows each year for five years as the program continues to build and grow.