The Dedman School of Law’s Mock Trial team triumphed at this year’s American Bar Association’s (ABA) Labor and Employment Mock Trial Competition. They will move on to Chicago to compete at nationals in late January of next year.
Coached by Ed Berbarie, a labor and employment lawyer with the Littler Mendelson firm, this was the team’s first year participating in the competition and though it is in its fourth year, the first time the competition was held in Dallas. The team members, Nefeterius McPherson, John Roberts, Sally Pretorius and Michael Thomas are all SMU Law students with the exception of McPherson, all joined Mock Trial just this semester.
“With the exception of Nefeterius, who did mock trial last year, all of us are brand new to [it],” Thomas said.
He also praised their coach, saying he “did an excellent job coaching us and making us into lawyers. In mock trial, you try a case basically the same as you would in real life, so everyone has to know everything there is about trying a case. Eddie had to teach each of us everything from presentation to the law we used in trying the case.”
For the team’s one member with experience, third-year law student McPherson, the team faced up to its challenges with maturity.
“The four of us have never competed together, and I am the only one who had competition experience,” McPherson said. “We were the little engine that could and in beating two teams from Arkansas, South Texas in the semi-final round and UT in the final round, we did the unthinkable. From here, if we continue to work as hard as we have been the sky is the limit.”
The challenges for the team are not quite over according to Pretorius.
“We proved to everyone that we have talent and skills, and that anything is possible with lots of practice along with good coaching and teamwork,” Pretorius said.
“Now we just have to keep up the hard work and the great teamwork and make it happen again.”
Thomas described the many weeks of practices, including many Saturday mornings to prepare for the competition. The biggest challenge, he said, will be staying fresh for the national competition.
For now, they are celebrating their victory.
“The best experience was bonding with each other and forming new friendships that will last a lifetime,” McPherson said.
