Lee University’s Mock Trial team recently competed in a mock trial event at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The competition had teams from Kennesaw State University, Tulane University, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and Wake Forest University.

“Mock Trial has some of the hardest working students at Lee,” said Dr. Mark Scully, assistant professor of political science at Lee and sponsor of the team. “They performed admirably this weekend against big programs and dealt with unplanned venue changes and Covid-related roster changes, including moving to Zoom at the last minute. They struggled through that adversity, and they’re ready to face off against some of the top teams in our region in their next event.”

During the competition, Lee’s Maroon team went 4-4. Lee members Clara Politino and Ella Barnes also won MVP awards.

“It has been my pleasure to be the president of such an amazing club this year, and I could not be prouder of how much effort each one of our team members puts into this activity,” said Chase Lawson, a senior public administration major. “I really could not imagine my Lee experience without the mock trial. This club is great at enriching the academic experience at Lee as it provides real-world knowledge that I hope to use in my future profession!”

Mock Trial’s next event will be Saturday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 20, where they will compete in the regional competition. Teams include Duke University, Georgia Tech University, Florida State University, Loyola Chicago University, Northwestern University, and Pennsylvania State University, among others.

This year’s Mock Trial Team includes Paul Atherton, Erin Atkins, Ella Barnes, Rebecca Bays, Kevin Clupper, Shauna Drinnon, Zadie Fiveash, Lauren Frank, Aidan Giavelli, Chase Lawson, Cassandra Olson, Molley Petty, Clara Politino, Ethan Ramey, Andrew Rumfelt, Graham Stewart, Sydney Taylor, Ghislyn Tucker, Dante Williams, and Grace Worrall.

For more information about Lee’s Mock Trial team, contact Dr. Scully at [email protected] or (423) 614-8354.