NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (March 27, 2001) - Four second-year students from Temple University's School of Law won a nearly month-long national "mock trial" competition in the final trials sponsored here by the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

Known as the annual Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC), the mock trials began in early March in 13 cities where 208 teams from 119 law schools faced each other regionally. Temple University's law students prevailed in Providence, Rhode Island before heading to New Orleans last week along with 25 other law school teams.

The four students who developed and practiced their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench are Laura Carlin, 24, of Willow Grove, PA; Alicia Freind, 24, of Havertown, PA; Gabriel Levin, 23, of Merion, PA; and John Mattiacci, 25, of Jenkintown, PA.

In the final trial the Temple squad of law students faced a team from Drake University of Des Moines, Iowa. Their theoretical case involved a lawsuit filed against the state of Louisiana by the parents of a 17-year-old boy who died from juvenile diabetes after a 911 paramedic summoned to the family home failed to take him to the local hospital.

STAC cases are always civil justice cases and tend to deal with products liability, personal injury or medical malpractice/negligence concerns. The competing teams were judged on their skills in case preparation, opening statements, use of facts, the examination of witnesses and closing arguments.

Founded in 1946, AAJ is the world's largest trial bar association with more than 56,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad representing plaintiffs. AAJ was established to safeguard victims' rights, strengthen America's civil justice system, preserve the constitutional right to trial by jury, promote injury prevention, and foster the disclosure of information crucial to public health and safety. CONTACT: Mimi Toomey, AAJ Membership Department 202/965-3500 ext. 372

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2001 NATIONAL STAC WINNERS

1st PLACE
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Philadelphia, PA

2nd PLACE
DRAKE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
DesMoines, IA

SEMI-FINALISTS
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SCHOOL OF LAW
Tuscaloosa, AL

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Dallas, TX

QUARTER-FINALISTS
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SCHOOL OF LAW
Athens, GA

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LEVIN COLLEGE OF LAW
Gainesville, FL

TULANE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
New Orleans, LA

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Winston-Salem, NC