The Lasell College Mock Trial team competed last weekend in a tournament at UMass Amherst. Lasell is one of more than 400 colleges and universities examining a fictional case published by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). This year, each team has prepared to try a civil suit between a television studio and an animal trainer. 

Twenty-four teams from schools throughout New England and the Northeast met over the weekend at UMass Amherst, where they each tried its case four times -- twice as plaintiffs and twice as defendants. Students from each team performed as attorneys or witnesses, with time limits imposed for opening statements, direct and cross examinations, and closing arguments. Lasell's opponents included students from Roger Williams University, College of the Holy Cross, Amherst College, and UMass Amherst.   

The invitational tournament was a dry run for upcoming regional competitions. The Lasell team will compete at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York, next month. The highest ranked teams at each regional will advance to the national championship later in 2019. 

Alex Balletto, a Lasell senior and two-year veteran "mocker," was selected as one of the outstanding witnesses of the UMass tournament.  

Lasell offers "The Mock Trial Practicum I and II" (LS213 and LS216) each year, entitling each student to three credits for the fall course and one for the spring.