BLSA Team Brings Home Two Mock Trial Trophies

UNLV Boyd School of Law BLSA Team (l-r)
Britannica Collins, Jonathan Lee, Sonya Miller, and Angela Cook

The UNLV Black Law Students Association (BLSA) team competed at the Western Region qualifying round of the National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition held in Los Angeles on January 9-12, 2013. Britannica Collins and Jonathan Lee were the attorneys for the plaintiff. Angela Cook and Sonya Miller were the attorneys for the defense.

The team returned victorious with two trophies (pictured). Collins, Cook, Lee, and Miller took second place overall in the Western Region, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. In addition, Mr. Lee won the award for Best Oral Advocate.  

Local attorneys Adjunct Professor Franny Forsman (Lead Coach), Richard Boulware, and Robert Langford contributed their time and expertise to coach the team. Robert Langford coached the team on site in Los Angeles and Franny Forsman will be coaching the team on site in Washington, D.C. 

This is the second year in a row that the UNLV BLSA chapter fielded a team. Last year Brittnie Watkins, Britannica Collins, Sonya Miller and Kiera Sears competed at the regional competition in Seattle in January 2012 and in the national competition in March 2012 in Washington, D.C. 

The NBLSA Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition is one of the nation’s largest mock trial competitions and hundreds of teams compete each year.

The author, Professor Rachel Anderson, is the UNLV BLSA Advisor.