Saturday, October 20, 2007
News from Key West
The NACDL team was a ballot short of making the break to the semifinal round. This tournament neither lets coaches see the rounds or the ballots (I don't even know which rounds we won), so I can't offer a first-hand analysis, but it does sound like the team (Desmond Cooks, Christie Smith, Stephen Baker, Heather Kanny) did a great job in a non-Kabuki-Theater kind of way.
Unfortunately, apart from the outcome, the tournament wasn't as well-run as in the past. I really enjoyed the competition in 2003 and 2004 because the judging was by experienced criminal trial practitioners, which resulted in both good critiques and realistic judging. This year, though, they had two judges at most in any round, and some of those were not trial attorneys. From an educational standpoint, I would hope for better.
We did draw a tough schedule (which is a good thing)-- SMU, Wisconsin, and Alabama. Alabama was especially good, as they usually are in this tournament (they knocked us out in the semis in 2004).
On the the TOC!
Unfortunately, apart from the outcome, the tournament wasn't as well-run as in the past. I really enjoyed the competition in 2003 and 2004 because the judging was by experienced criminal trial practitioners, which resulted in both good critiques and realistic judging. This year, though, they had two judges at most in any round, and some of those were not trial attorneys. From an educational standpoint, I would hope for better.
We did draw a tough schedule (which is a good thing)-- SMU, Wisconsin, and Alabama. Alabama was especially good, as they usually are in this tournament (they knocked us out in the semis in 2004).
On the the TOC!
