I Am Bailiff

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending a trial advocacy competition hosted by Loyola Law School. It was an opportunity to witness some of the top national teams in an activity I had long been curious about.

I volunteered to be a bailiff for a day; a contribution comparable to that of a parli. judge, minus the ballot of course. No experience needed.

The round lasted the usual 170 minutes. There were 2 attorneys and 2 witnesses on each side. The case was about sexual molestation by a priest. The charges were civil in nature and were filed against both priest and the catholic diocese. It could best be described as an intellectual play. It's partially scripted (the opening and closing statements) and everything in between is genuine lawyering.

Having debated parli. for 2 years I can honestly say that trail advocacy is the next best thing. It incorporates debate theory, advocacy, of course, and an extensive knowledge on subject matter, case law, and civil code. The advocates took the matter very seriously as so did the witnesses, one of the whom nearly brought me to tears as she described how the priest exposed himself to her.

The critiques offered by the judges, all of whom are practicing litigators, were applicable to the real world, and extremely complex. I found myself glued; listening at the expense of rushing the ballots to the tally room.

Even though an apprenticeship on a law review is considered more prestigious by top firms, I am convinced that a mock trial experience is far more beneficial to someone who actually wants to litigate. Let's hope that i can make it on Loyola's team as an advocate rather than as bailiff.

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PS-Just saw the film “Kinsey.” It is a fascinating look at the life of Dr. Alfred Kinsey (PRAK). Highly recommend it.