Friends,

I have the honor this year of being appointed Regional Chair, for the New York Region, of the American Association for Justice’s Annual Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC).  I am pleased to invite you to serve as a Volunteer Juror, judging the students’ performance at a mock trial.  Each trial will consist of teams from 2 law schools, requires scoring judges (jurors) and a presiding judge who will run the trial and rule on objections.  Only real judges and experienced trial lawyers can be presiding judges.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with AAJ’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC), it is a national mock trial competition held every spring in 14 regional locations. Every year, over 150 law schools participate in making up 224 teams with 896 law students, all of whom become AAJ Law Student Members to compete. Over 1,200 lawyers from across the country volunteer to serve as competition judges and 30 AAJ members dedicate their time, energy, and expertise to help host these regional events. The New York City regional event will take place on March 1–3, 2019. The mock trials will take place in the Kings County State Supreme Court located at 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (parking in the judge’s lot will be on a first come/first served basis).

There will be 3 sessions of preliminary rounds, one session of semi-final rounds and one session of the final round.  Each preliminary round will consist of 8 trials (16 teams). Each trial requires three scoring judges, a bailiff, and a presiding judge.  So each of the preliminary round sessions require 40 lawyers and judges.

The first session will 4:00 PM. Friday afternoon, March 1, 2019, from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM.  On Saturday and Sunday, March 2nd and 3rd there will be 12:30 PM sessions, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:30PM to 4:00PM.  Each session starts with a short orientation meeting on the main floor (second floor) followed by a three hour trial in a courtroom upstairs.

Please pick the session or sessions that are most convenient for you.  You may click on this link STAC ONLINE SIGN UP  to sign up and pick your sign-up, or you can print the form, fill it out, and fax or email it back to me.

The competition rounds are:

ROUND 1: Friday, March 1st, 4:30 PM-8: 00 PM (8 trials, 40 volunteers needed)

ROUND 2: Saturday, March 2nd, 8:30 AM-12:00 PM (8 trials, 40 volunteers needed)

ROUND 3: Saturday, March 2nd, 12:30 PM-4:00 PM (8 trials, 40 volunteers needed)

SEMI-FINAL ROUND: Sunday, March 3rd, 8:30 AM-12:00 PM (2 trials, 10 volunteers required)

FINAL ROUND: Sunday, March 3rd, 12:30 PM-4: 00 PM (1 trial, 5 volunteers needed)

This is a wonderful event, all of the students devote substantial time training to be good trial lawyers and spending your time in this endeavor will be very satisfying.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (212) 406-1600 or via email at rgurfein@gurfeindouglas.com .

Please feel free to share this invitation and the sign up form with your colleagues and friends, we always need additional volunteers, even non-lawyers.

I hope to see you all at the competition.

All the best,

Richard