Amber Milliron of Yorkville defeats Harvard at Yale Mock Trial Invitational

2014 Dec 16

Yale Mock Trial Invitational is always one of the top tournaments, drawing large numbers of the top ranked teams in the nation. This year was no different, just a little smaller with only 44 teams, yet still drawing from California to Florida, with the naturally large contingent from the northeast.

Lewis University drew tough competition--Harvard University, Penn State, Quinnipiac University and University of Rochester. In a tough, close opening round, Lewis defeated Harvard 2-1 with scores of +10, +2 and -1. Yale uses three scoring judges in each round. Scoring on Plaintiff in the second round, Lewis swept Penn State +13, +3 and +4. Quinnipiac, a continual power in the east, was next and Lewis won +14, +1 and -6. This set the stage for a critical Round 4 for fourth-place Lewis on defense against first place University of Rochester, who has made nationals out of the Yale Regional in previous years. In a very contentious battle, with the judges having difficulty ruling on arguments and objections, the round ended in Rochester's favor +16, +1 and a tie.

The tightness of the standings became evident when Rochester couldn't hold first place and fell to second with Tufts slipping in as the champion. Yale finished third.

Yorkville resident Amber Milliron helped Lewis to the seventh place finish, continuing the record of always finishing in the top half at Yale and the fifth time in the top ten.

In individual scoring, Lewis did very well with all players contributing significantly to the team success. David DeSchepper led the attorneys, winning Outstanding Attorney Award for the fifth consecutive tournament this year. Megan Arehart and Maggie Huggins scored well in all rounds and were in contention for awards.

"The attorney team is very strong and all score well, making it difficult to secure individual awards for more than one member," commented Dr. James Houlihan, Head Coach and professor of Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies.

This was the best showing of this year for witness members Larry Beyer, Amber Milliron, Dustin Murray, Korin Navarro and Ashley Patek. All contributed significantly with Murray missing an award by two points. Beyer, Milliron and Navarro needed only a few points for an award. Patek had the toughest time as she was selected to cover different roles in order to offset any strategies by opposing teams each round.

Houlihan explained "It is very typical that a team will pull a different legal strategy/attack when playing such a strong, well-balanced team as Lewis. The hope is that the opponent won't have a well-prepared member to hold his or her own as a witness. Ashley filled that role very well."

January 18-19, Lewis will play in the Windy City Challenge, hosted by Northwestern University at the Daley Center in Chicago. That will be followed by the Hoosier Challenge hosted by Indiana University January 25-26 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Members of the Lewis University Mock Trial team are David DeSchepper (captain), Megan Arehart (captain), Maggie Huggins, Ashley Patek, Korin Navarro, Vanessa Patenoude, Larry Beyer, Anthony Scorzo (captain), Erica Swanberg (captain), Kajal Sharma, Dustin Murray, Martin Romo and Amber Milliron.

Lewis University Mock Trial Coaches include Bill Rock of Block Klukas & Manzella in Joliet, Paul Namie of Law Offices of Jason R. Moseley in Merriville, Ind., and Cary Hansing, a financial analyst for BP Oil. Contact Head Coach Dr. James Houlihan, professor of Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies, at (815) 836-5313 or houlihja@lewisu.edu to learn more about the academic teams at Lewis University.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,700 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.