White Collar Crime Invitational
The White Collar Crime Invitational is a three-day trial advocacy competition hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center Barristers’ Council. It features a federal criminal trial focused on white collar issues. Past problems include insurance fraud, honest services fraud, and lying to federal investigators.
Twenty of the nation’s top trial advocacy programs journey to Washington for the competition, which is judged by legal professionals from the greater D.C. Area. The competition is held in both the H. Carl Moultrie D.C. Superior Court and the E. Barrrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, located in the heart of Washington, D.C.
Date and Time
Typically, the invitational takes place in mid-November. The first round is held on Friday evening, with two additional rounds on Saturday, and semi-final and final rounds on Sunday. The deadline to apply is in early August. Invitations are finalized shortly after the application period closes, and the competition problem will be released approximately two months before the competition.
Exact dates for the 2013 Competition will be available in Summer 2013.
Format
The competition consists of three guaranteed preliminary rounds, followed by a semi-final and final round. During each mock trial each student advocate is expected to conduct the direct examination of a witness, the cross examination of a witness, and to present either the opening statement or the closing argument of the case. The advocates will also be evaluated on their professionalism in making routine objections and handling exhibits. A judge and a “jury” of experienced trial attorneys will score the performances. Each trial should last about three hours, followed by a short period of comment by the evaluators. Each team will be provided with their evaluations at the gala on Saturday evening. In the final round, teams will prosecute or defend as follows: if the teams have met before, the teams will switch sides; otherwise, a coin toss will determine the assignment of sides.
Competitor Information
Each team must consist of four law students, i.e., students who are enrolled, in good standing, currently attending the law school which they represent, and working towards a J.D. degree or its equivalent. A faculty or other advisor should accompany each team. In each trial round, two students will be advocates and two students will be witnesses for their own trial team. A student may be an advocate or a witness in any trial but cannot be both advocate and witness in the same trial; i.e., “permanent witnesses” are permitted. This choice is for each participating team to make.
Application
Applications must be submitted online. The application form will be available in Summer 2013.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact the Director of the Trial Advocacy Division of Barristers’ Council at barristers.trial@gmail.com.
2012 White Collar Crime Invitational Competitors
Champion: Florida International University College of Law
Runner-up: William & Mary Law School
Semi-Finalist: University of Houston Law Center
Semi-Finalist: University of Virginia School of Law
Competitors:
- American University Washington College of Law
- Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
- Catholic University Columbus School of Law
- Creighton School of Law
- Florida Coastal School of Law
- Fordham Law School
- George Mason University School of Law
- George Washington University Law School
- Georgetown University Law Center
- Howard University School of Law
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Santa Clara University School of Law
- SMU Dedman School of Law
- South Texas College of Law
- Tulane University Law School
- University of South Carolina School of Law
