UWF ANNOUNCES GIFTS TOWARD MOCK TRIAL COURTROOM

PENSACOLA - The University of West Florida has received approximately $180,000 in private support to create a high-tech Mock Trial Courtroom from an existing classroom on campus.

"UWF has been such a benefit to this community that Beggs & Lane feels a need to take the opportunity, as citizens of Northwest Florida and members of the local legal community, in some small way to contribute to the university's success and assist in the preparation of students who may be interested in the legal field," said Buz Windham of Beggs & Lane.

Slated to open in 2008, the Mock Trial Courtroom will serve various campus and community groups. The courtroom will provide the UWF Mock Trial team with the ideal setting for preparing for state and national competitions and will allow UWF to host regional and national mock trial competitions. UWF students will be able to simulate legal proceedings, and students in litigation courses will have the opportunity to conduct trial court exercises. The Pensacola legal community can become involved in trial competitions by serving as judges, and area law firms can use the space for a model location for witness preparation and jury simulation. The mock courtroom can also be used for law enforcement training and serve as a venue for high school mock trial team practice and competition.

The mock trial courtroom will replicate courtroom design and include state-of-the-art evidence presentation systems, live video feeds from courtrooms throughout the First Judicial Circuit, high-speed Internet and data communications at the judge's bench and counsel tables and worldwide video conferencing for remote witness testimony and training.

"We're getting very close to reaching our goal of $225,000 for the project" said Smykla. "Whether it's one large gift to help us close the gap, or lots of smaller ones, we're reaching out to all of Pensacola to help us improve civic education and become a community with the resources to engage active learning opportunities."

The importance of UWF's mock trial classroom is underscored by a $1,000 gift from the Florida Bar Foundation. Chief Justice Fred Lewis of the Florida Supreme Court also issued an administrative order to improve civic education in public schools through interactive approaches to the teaching of justice, including mock trials. Chief Justice Lewis created the "Justice Teaching Initiative" that would assign a legal professional to every school in Florida.

"Anyone who contributes to this project will have the knowledge that they are contributing to what may be the only project of its kind in the state of Florida," said John Parnham, former Pensacola Circuit Court judge. "Whether it's $5 or $50,000, everyone who contributes will be recognized for their contribution to Chief Justice Lewis' Justice Teaching Initiative."

For more information or to make a gift, contact the UWF Division of Development at (850) 474-2758.

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