In-School Teacher Training

NITA teacher training at your school

For forty years, NITA has produced the finest trial advocacy training programs in the world. The quality of these training programs is directly augmented by the caliber of teaching at NITA’s programs.

Now you can bring our learning-by-doing methodology right to your law school! The better trained your professors, adjuncts, and mock trial coaches are, the better the learning experience will be for your law school students.

Flexible, customized training at your school

NITA offers customized teacher training programs at your law school for your trial advocacy faculty.  These custom programs are modeled after the two day public NITA Teacher Training Programs offered twice a year in New York and San Francisco. Both of these public programs are taught using the NITA "learning-by-doing" method. NITA welcomes your faculty to attend those public programs to work side-by-side with law teachers and lawyers from all over the United States and to learn form diverse, experience NITA faculty. NITA offers two-day custom teacher training programs for the convenience of your faculty, especially the adjunct trial advocacy teachers, who may not be able to travel to the public programs. 

Work with other universities

If you are interested in teacher training but don't have enough adjunct faculty, teachers, or mock trial coaches at your school, the program can be done with a consortium of schools in your region.  Law schools can then share both the expense of the training and the benefit of the experience.

Continue the training

Professors and adjuncts can continue to perfect their teaching skills by attending a NITA Teacher Training program. These programs are held at least twice a year, and draw from an international group of trial advocacy teachers.

Tournament of Champions

In 1989, Professor Charles E. "Chuck" Kirkwood of the University of Akron School of Law hosted the first Tournament of Champions Trial Competition. He invited the best trial advocacy law schools in the nation. Invitations were based on performance over the years in two "open" student trial competitions: the National Trial Competition and the ATLA National Student Trial Advocacy Competition. The tournament was informal and fun, with a focus on outstanding trial advocacy skills. In 1995, NITA recognized the outstanding quality of this tournament and chose to sponsor the Tournament of Champions. In 2005, LexisNexis® became a co-sponsor.

Today, the tournament is one of the premier law school trial competitions in the nation and is known for having the highest quality of congeniality and good sportsmanship. Each year, sixteen schools are invited. The invitations are based on a three-year performance record at the National Trial Competition and the ATLA National Student Trial Advocacy Competition, and performances at prior Tournament of Champions competition.

2011 Tournament of Champions Results
Champion: Cumberland School of Law, Samford University
2nd Place: Northwestern University School of Law
Semifinalist: St. John's University
Semifinalist: Loyola Chicago

Best Advocate, Preliminary Rounds:
Lena Paxos of St. John's University School of Law

Best Advocate, Final Rounds:
Andrew Sprout of Northwestern

2011 Tournament of Champions Participating Law Schools:
Baylor University
University of Chicago-Kent
University of Colorado
Duquesne University
University of Kentucky
Loyola University- Chicago
University of Maryland
Northwestern University
Samford University
St. John's University
Stanford University
Stetson University
Suffolk University
Syracuse University
Washington University (St. Louis)
University of Wisconsin

Awards

Champions received the traveling James Seckinger Trophy, a team plaque, individual plaques, and a copy of NITA's book, Trial Technique & Evidence by Michael R. Fontham. Runner-Up and Semifinalists each received a team plaque. The best advocates received scholarships to a NITA Deposition Program. All advocates received a collection of NITA books and certificates.

Previous Winners of the James H. Seckinger Trophy

2010 Chicago-Kent College of Law
2009 St. John's University School of Law
2008 Duquesne University School of Law
2007 St. John's University School of Law
2006 University of Maryland School of Law
2005 Temple University School of Law
2004 Stetson University College of Law
2003 University of Akron School of Law
2002 Pepperdine University School of Law
2001 Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
2000 University of Texas School of Law
1999 Howard University School of Law
1998 Temple University School of Law
1997 Temple University School of Law
1996 Temple University School of Law
1995 Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
1994 Stetson University College of Law
1993 Stetson University College of Law
1992 University of San Diego Law School
1991 Stetson University College of Law
1990 South Texas College of Law
1989 Stetson University College of Law

Inquiry

To place an order or discuss materials that best fit your needs, contact NITA at 1.574.246.0774 or educational@nita.org.