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Judging: Attorneys interested in judging at this year's Downtown should visit the Judges' Registration Page.

Jurors: Students interested in serving as jurors at this year's Downtown should visit the Jurors' Registration Page.

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                  All of your rounds will take place in these elegant courtrooms.

What To Expect

- NYC Experience. This year’s Downtown will feature either a bus tour or cruise of New York for all competitors to enjoy. After all, what’s the fun in coming all the way to New York if there’s no time to view one of the greatest cities in the world? Our three-day tournament gives teams plenty of time to explore the city.
- Courthouse. It's great to attend a tournament that takes place in a courthouse, but it is downright unbelievable to attend a tournament that takes place at the federal courthouse in downtown Brooklyn. The South Wing of the courthouse, home of the Downtown, was built in 2005 and houses some of the most magnificent courtrooms in the country.
- Judging. We guarantee that every round that you compete in will have three judges. The judging pool consists of local attorneys as well as federal and New York Supreme Court justices.
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About the Downtown

Founded in 2005, the Downtown Invitational Classic is a small, highly competitive intercollegiate mock trial tournament hosted annually by New York University. The tournament brings together some of the nation's top mock trial teams. In its inaugural year, the Downtown was held at NYU's historic Washington Square Campus. In 2007 the tournament relocated to the beautiful United States District Court, Eastern District of New York in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. Rounds were judged by over a hundred volunteer attorneys, including several New York State Supreme Court Justices.

In 2010, the Downtown will move its three-day invitational to the Spring! We promise to all participants, newcomers and veterans of the tournament, that this year's Downtown will be better than ever.

University of Pittsurgh Captain and close friend of NYU,
Keaton Carr, accepts his 3rd place trophy at the Downtown.

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Participating Schools

NYU welcomes the following schools to the 2010 Downtown Invitational Classic:

Cornell University
Furman University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Miami University at Ohio
New York University (2 teams)
Northwestern University
Northwood University
The George Washington University
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Los Angeles
University of Michigan
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Texas
University of Virginia
Yale University

NYU would like to give special recognition to teams joining us for the first time - welcome UCLA, Northwestern & Texas to the Downtown!


First awarded in 2007 to Furman University, the Downtown traveling trophy stands at over two feet tall.


Schedule

Friday, January 22

5:30 PM - Opening Ceremonies
6:15 - 6:30 PM - Captains' Meeting
6:30 PM - Round 1

Saturday, January 23

9:30 - 10:00 AM - Captains' Meetig
10:00 AM - 1 PM - Round 2
1:00- 2:15 PM - Lunch
2:15 - 2:30 PM- Captains' Meeting
2:30- 5:30 PM - Round 3
7:00 PM - Dinner, T.B.A.

Sunday, January 24

10:00 AM - 1 PM - Round 4
1:00- 2:00 PM - Lunch
2:00 - 2:30 PM - Awards' Ceremony
2:45 PM - 5 PM - Championship Round

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Downtown in Review

Testimonials. In our view the best reflection of an event is hearing the opinion of those that attended. Here are testimonials from two participants from past Downtowns:

"The Downtown Invitational is everything you want in a mock trial tournament - the best competition, the best facilities and the best staff. Last year, the NYU Mock Trial Team hosted one of best mock trial tournaments in the business. If you are lucky enough to get invited, turning this tournament down is not an option."
      - Andrew Blackwell, Two-Time All-American Attorney, President, The George Washington University Mock Trial

"The Downtown Classic is the quintessentially well organized event. Long before the tournament occurs, sufficient information is to sent to all participants. Hotel accommodations are an easy walk from the Courthouse--a beautiful facility that easily accommodates all of the trials. Teams can easily eat between the rounds at nearby eateries. And, the tournament runs like a Japanese train schedule. Most importantly, this event is not coach judged; rather, members of the Bar evaluate the trials. And there is no tournament in the nation that provides more awesome trophies--there are some over-the-top garrish traveling trophies, but the Downtown traveling trophy is over-the-top gorgeous as big and audacious as NYC itself. The organizers woo a field of the premier programs in the country to send their best teams to the Downtown. To top it off, the hosts are gracious and solicitous. This tournament sets the gold standard for other invitationals."
     - Dr. Glen Halva Neubauer, Coordinator, Furman University Mock Trial

Tab Summary. Download the '07 tab summary: 2007 Tab Summary

Photo Gallery. Photo Gallery 1 contains pictures from the weekend. Photo Gallery 2 contains photos of each individual team, posed for at the conclusion of Round 2. Special thanks to the photographer, Stephanie Sauer, on an excellent job.



Downtown trophies prior to the Awards Ceremony

 
Copyright 2009, New York University Mock Trial Team