Congratulations to 3Ls Kyle Coopersmith and James Dugan for winning the 2023 Cohen & Cohen Mock Trial Competition, and thank you to The Honorable Charles Thomas, first Administrative Law Judge for the District of Columbia assigned to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), Jane Drummey, Deputy Director, MFCU, DC Inspector General's Office, and The Honorable Jeffrey Smith, Administrative Patent Judge for presiding over the competition.
Professor Cheryl Kettler, who presided over the semifinals, had this to say about Kyle and James, "Your preparation, strategy, and eloquence in [the] semifinals certainly foretold a great future. It's wonderful to know that you went on to win the competition. You should be proud of your accomplishment! Best wishes for continued success."
The Sponsor
The Cohen & Cohen Mock Trial Competition is our premier upper-level trial advocacy competition. This competition is made possible through the generosity of GW Law's adjunct professor Wayne Cohen and his law firm, Cohen & Cohen, for which we are very grateful. Professor Cohen had this to say about the competition, "we’re so proud to provide a forum for law students to hone their skills as trial lawyers.”
Awards
The following competitors were awarded membership on the Mock Trial Board for their excellence in advocacy:
- Anna Colaianne
- Kyle Coopersmith
- Jacob Droeger
- James Dugan
- Ashley Magruder
- William Qiang
Additionally, Nicholas Baughman won Best Oral Advocate for having the highest individual orator score in the Preliminary Rounds of the competition.
Also reaching the Final Round was the team of 2Ls Michael Mackanic and William Qiang, and William had this to say, "I wasn't sure how I would do my first time and [Dean Johnson's] encouragement at our first meeting was invaluable."
The Problem
Quinn Song is suing Cosas Stores, Inc. for common law negligence. The issue arose when influencer Devyn Shah, attempting to secure a brand ambassadorship with Cosas, posted videos promoting the store. Cosas, under pressure to improve sales, allowed the videos despite concerns about Devyn's suitability. One video, featuring Devyn in a Cosas mascot costume, led to a customer, Ryan Riddle, climbing shelves and falling on Quinn Song. Ryan Riddle subsequently died from the fall, but it remains unclear whether his actions were influenced by Devyn's video or the ongoing Easter Egg hunt promotion.
Quinn Song experienced back pain following the incident, later diagnosed as a disc bulge. Quinn argues that the injury resulted from Cosas' negligence in running the Easter Egg promotion or, alternatively, from Devyn's actions as a perceived employee or agent of Cosas. Cosas denies any employment or agency relationship with Devyn, disputes the connection between the fall and the Easter Egg promotion, and refutes responsibility for Quinn's injury. The case hinges on whether Cosas can be held liable for the incident and Quinn's resulting medical condition.