SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (September 3, 2024) – Prepare for a high-stakes legal showdown at the third annual National Flash Trial Competition. The highly anticipated event kicks off at the JAMS conference center in San Francisco from Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 8, 2024, bringing together twenty top-notch participants from ten of the nation’s leading trial advocacy law schools.
The event is hosted by UC Berkeley School of Law, and San Francisco-based plaintiff’s firm Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, Venable LLP, JAMS, and Berkeley Law co-sponsored the event.
The competing schools this year include Baylor Law School, Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, South Texas College of Law Houston, UCLA School of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, University of Houston Law Center, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, and last year’s reigning champion, University of South Carolina School of Law.
Flash trials, a tradition at Berkeley Law, became a national contest thanks to the efforts of Spencer J. Pahlke, a shareholder at the Walkup Firm who also teaches at Berkeley Law, serves as Co-Director of the school’s External Trial Competition Program, and coaches several trial advocacy teams.
“As the National Flash Trial Competition has grown in size and prestige over the past three years, we’ve seen an incredible response from law schools nationwide. Even those that didn’t qualify this year are eager to learn more about incorporating flash trials into their programs,” said Spencer J. Pahlke. “It’s inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and commitment of these schools to push the boundaries of trial advocacy training.”
Unlike traditional mock trial competitions that involve a single fictional case with a larger team, the flash trial format challenges two students with a new case problem just 45-60 minutes before each round starts. Each round lasts about an hour. Each school competes in four preliminary rounds, with new fact patterns provided for each, and the top teams advance to the semifinals. The final two teams will participate in six trials over three days, testing their quick-thinking and adaptability skills.
The event promises to push competitors to the limits of their legal and trial advocacy skills, emphasizing quick thinking and adaptability in the face of last-minute information.
