“We are always looking for ways to give something back and mentor young law professionals, so this competition was an excellent opportunity for us,” comments Maria Glorioso, managing partner of the Glorioso Law Firm in New Orleans. The competition Glorioso speaks of was the 2010 finals of the Association for Justice (AAJ) Student Trial Advocacy Competition that was held in New Orleans March 18-21, 2010. Glorioso, along with her brother Trey, who is also a managing partner in the family law firm, coordinated over 30 separate mock trials over a four-day period. All of the trial cases were civil cases and dealt with products liability, personal injury, or medical malpractice/negligence issues, subjects The Glorioso Law Firm are very familiar with.
“I am a second generation personal injury trial attorney and I know from personal experience that mentoring is essential,” comments Trey Glorioso. He, his sister and father, Vincent Glorioso, Jr., operate a boutique law firm in downtown New Orleans and have successfully handled multi-million dollar personal injury cases. As Glorioso says, “I learned a lot by watching and talking to law professionals so anything I can do to help a young law student I will do. The AAJ competition is an excellent avenue for law students to really get some hands-on experience and it gives me an opportunity to pass on a lot of what I’ve learned.”
The Glorioso Law Firm worked in conjunction with AAJ to secure courtrooms and judges to hear the mock trials. The competition began with 14 regional competitions involving over 200 law schools. The winner from each regional competition then traveled to New Orleans for the finals. Teams were judged on their skills in case preparation, opening statements, use of facts, the examination of lay and expert witnesses, and closing arguments. After the four-day event, the University Of Wisconsin School Of Law was voted the overall champion.
“This was a great experience for the students and for us,” comments Maria Glorioso. She adds, “This competition was a huge success and provided an invaluable learning experience for all the students, lawyers and judges who participated.”