The Rutgers University Mock Trial Association (RUMTA) A-Team placed fourth at the Wilmington Open Round Series Championship, earning a spot among the top 48 teams in the nation, and a chance to compete to be the number one mock trial team across the fifty states. This year’s A-team has made RUMTA history and is now the second team to successfully earn a bid to the National Championship Tournament (NCT) in Los Angeles CA, on April 21-23.
RUMTA congratulates A-Team members Rob Servilio and Mike Kleynman for outstanding individual performances. Servilio received an Outstanding Witness Award for his portrayal of human resources expert Dr. Sam Owens. Kleynman received an Outstanding Attorney award for his work as plaintiff counsel.
At ORCS, the A-team faced tough rounds of competition, taking victories against George Washington University, University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill, a rematch against Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The A-Team argued both plaintiff and defense in the civil employment discrimination case Riley Winter vs. TBD involving a journalist allegedly terminated for their age. President and Senior Anish Patel in his fourth and final year reports that “in [his] four proud years with this organization, this year RUMTA has gone to more tournaments, raised more money, and gotten farther than it ever has in the quest to become number one. We owe everything to our coaches and sponsors, and we celebrate the loyalty and dedication of our membership.”
For NCT, the A-team will now be arguing the case of Alex Taylor v. Trifecta Entertainment, a civil copyright infringement case between a former playwright and his former employer.
RUMTA would like to give a special thank you to Head Coach Michael Roberts of Roberts & Teeter, who practices criminal defense in Somerset County. RUMTA would also like to thank Assistant Coaches Jenna Przybylski, an Associate at Desmarais LLP, and Jess Ma, an Assistant Prosecutor at the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. RUMTA is graciously sponsored by the Middlesex County Bar Foundation, and the Rutgers Alumni Association. Thank you for your support.