USF Sarasota-Manatee students to participate in mock trial 

SARASOTA, FL (March 12, 2007) – The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will host a mock trial on Monday, March 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.   

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the Selby Auditorium on the new USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, located at 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, across from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. 

Students from USF Sarasota-Manatee will play the roles of witnesses and jurors. A judge will preside over the mock trial with attorneys from the John M. Scheb American Inn, the event’s local sponsor, representing the plaintiff and defendant. Two juries will be selected from the audience and will deliver separate verdicts.

The American Inn of Court is composed of judges, lawyers, legal educators and law students who promote excellence in legal advocacy; foster greater understanding of the system of American law; provide significant educational experiences that improve and enhance the skills of lawyers and judges; help the development of law students; promote collegiality among members; and carry ethical values from one generation to another.

Founded in 1991, the John M. Scheb American Inn of Court limits membership to attorneys who practice in Sarasota County, judges of courts serving this county, or law professors and law students from Stetson University College of Law. The Inn aspires to reflect a cross section of the legal profession and the judiciary so that no law firm or specialty is disproportionately represented.

For additional information on the mock trial, call Dr. Brooke Butler at (941)359-4447 or email her at bbutler@sar.usf.edu. To learn more about American Inns of Court, visit http://www.innsofcourt.org/inns/schebinn/. 

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at Manatee Community College Venice.