Bill Nichols Participates as a Judge in an Undergraduate Mock Trial Competition

On Saturday, February 7, 2015, White Peterson’s Managing Director, William Nichols, participated as a presiding judge on a three judge panel during one of the afternoon rounds of an undergraduate mock trial competition that was sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association and hosted by the University of Idaho at Boise, Idaho. Participating colleges and universities at the competition were Chemeketa Community College, Gonzaga University, University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Oregon, University of Idaho, University of Portland, Westminster College, Reed College, Eastern Washington University, Oregon State University and the University of California, Berkeley.

The American Mock Trial Association was founded in 1985 by Dean Richard Calkins of Drake Law School. AMTA serves as the governing body for intercollegiate mock trial competition. Through engaging in trial simulations in competition with teams from other institutions, students develop critical thinking and public speaking skills, as well as knowledge of legal practices and procedures. AMTA sponsors regional and national-level competitions, as well as providing interesting and complex case materials for academic use. Presently, AMTA hosts 25 regional tournaments, eight opening round championship tournaments and a national championship tournament each season. Approximately 600 teams from over 350 universities and colleges will compete in these tournaments. In total, AMTA provides a forum for over 5,300 undergraduate students each academic year to engage in intercollegiate mock trial competitions across the country.