C.U. Phi Alpha Delta Returns to National Competition

Phi Alpha Delta has taken several trips to the National Competition and does well every year. 
Photo by Briana Gunter

Phi Alpha Delta, the fraternity for pre-law students at Concord University, travelled to the annual Mock Trial competition held at the National Phi Alpha Delta Conference. The conference lasted from Wednesday, October 28 to Saturday, November 3, and took place at Hyatt Hotel in Crystal City, VA, located just a few miles outside of Washington D.C. This Mock Trial competition is one of the many things Phi Alpha Delta offers to its members. According to the web page for the fraternity on the Concord University website, the event is designed to foster trial advocacy and debate skills among those that participate. In the recent years that Concord University has participated in this Mock Trial competition, the school has typically done well. The Mock Trial of this semester continued the trend, with students from Concord University placing in the ranks. 

There were 14 students from Concord University that went to Washington D.C for this competition. Of those 14, 8 students actively participated in the Mock Trial. These students were split into two teams of four, and they were up against six other schools from across the country, such as the University of Florida, Florida International University, and Texas Tech. “The experience is amazing because some of these other PAD chapters from these bigger schools have hundreds of members and we have 17,” said Saul Harlow, President of Concord Phi Alpha Delta chapter, “However, we more than hold our own ground and our competition is usually taken aback by how much of a fight this small school from Southern West Virginia is putting up. At the end of the day we’re all still members of the same fraternity so when the dust of the competition settles it’s also a great opportunity for making connections to future colleagues in the legal field.” 

The mock trial itself basically boiled down a case of a rap artist Ski-Pole (the fictional defendant) being accused of causing the death of a fan (the plaintiff). The prosecution argued that it was the rapper’s fault that the fan was trampled to death in a mosh pit as Ski-Pole urged his audience to rush the stage by adding and remixing lyrics from one of his other songs into the tune he was rapping. The defense countered by arguing that Ski-Pole only meant that his audience should rush the stage metaphorically and that the security team on site should have prevented the mosh from getting out of control the way that it did. 

“Josh Lawson was our faculty adviser. He was one of the mock trial coaches and is a practicing defense attorney in Mercer County,” Harlow explained, “He’s also a Concord alumnus!” 

This coaching seemed to have paid dividends, as Concord University B Team placed 4th, with Team A’s results to be revealed at a later date. In addition to that, President Saul Harlow received an award for Outstanding Advocate.

“The experience was great,” said Briana Gunter, Philanthropy Chair of Phi Alpha Delta, “It was awesome seeing all the hard work that our members put into mock trial and it was even better when we found out that one of our teams had placed and another member won an award.  For those not competing, it was still a great learning experience where members could talk directly to admissions counselors from law schools across the nation.” 

Harlow agreed and added that this competition is also about building a network of contacts as the law students in the fraternity prepare for their future careers. “There’s a lot more to the trip than just mock trial. The conference brings in great speakers that help students navigate the law school admissions process. They bring in students from law school to give a perspective on what life in law school is like and they also bring in practicing attorneys with 20-30 years experience in the field to discuss life as an attorney and the challenges and opportunities the legal field brings.” From the award Harlow won to the Concord’s team placing high, it would seem that Phi Alpha Delta has a lot to be proud of this year.