Widener Law’s Delaware campus will host one of fourteen regional qualifiers of the American Association for Justice’s 2011 Student Trial Advocacy Competition. The qualifier will begin with a welcome reception on Thursday, March 3rd, and the event will run through Sunday, March 6th.The winning team from each qualifier will compete at the final competition to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 31st through April 3rd.AAJ mock trial cases involve civil matters, often focusing on topics such as products liability, personal injury, or medical malpractice. The competition does not include a written brief, and teams will be judged on their overall preparation, opening statements, witness examinations, and closing arguments.In addition to the team from Widener Law, teams competing in the Wilmington, Delaware qualifier include:

Drexel University
Golden Gate University
Liberty University
2 teams from Penn State University
Regent University
University of Alabama
Temple University
2 teams from the University of Baltimore
2 teams from the University of Maryland
2 teams from the University of Pennsylvania
Villanova University
University of Wisconsin
Wayne State University

Students from the Moot Court Honor Society and the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society will help staff the event. Professor John Nivala - the director of the Taishoff Technology, Advocacy, and Public Service Institute - and special programs coordinator Connie Sweeney are coordinating the event with assistance from faculty secretary Patricia Burns. Current Delaware SBA president Damiano Presley del Pino helped bring the event to Delaware, submitting an application to the AAJ for Widener to serve as a host when he was the President of Widener Law's Delaware campus AAJ chapter last year. He serves as the co-coordinator of the event with Professor Nivala.Sponsors for the event include Kaplan PMBR, BarBri, and Westlaw.Additional information about the 2011 Student Trial Advocacy Competition can be found at the American Association for Justice’s website.