Sturgill Turner healthcare attorney Madeleine Loeffler was one of only 16 students selected nationally to participate in the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)/American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) National Trial Academy Sept. 16-21 in Reno, Nev.

Students and faculty members came from around the country to participate in this competitive program, and the students got to work closely with their assigned mentors to help develop their skills and strategy for a sample case.

Maddie was assigned to serve as part of Plaintiff’s team; she was chosen to argue one of the Motions in Limine that had been filed by the Defense to exclude a particular piece of evidence and conducted the voir dire on the day of trial. Following the conclusion of the presentation of evidence, the juries retired to deliberate, and students were able to watch and hear them deliberate.

“The faculty members are accomplished, well-respected trial attorneys and getting to learn from them was easily one of the greatest joys I have experienced in my practice so far,” Maddie said. “The students were equally impressive – we all had varying degrees of practice and trial experience and really worked to push one another to advocate for our client in the most effective way possible. I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone who has even a remote interest in trying cases.”

The purpose of the program was to provide an intensive experience preparing and taking a case to trial. Students were assigned to serve as either Plaintiff or Defense Counsel. Each day, the students prepared various trial components, including opening statements, direct and cross examinations of both lay witnesses and expert witnesses, closing statements, pretrial procedural motions, and voir dire. In the days leading up to the “trial” the students got to present their statements and examinations for the faculty, were videotaped, and were given extensive feedback – both good and bad – on their presentations.

On the final day of the academy, the students tried the case. The jurors were Reno citizens who received a real jury summons and came to hear the case, and the expert witnesses were true witnesses in their field (in this case physicians and engineers). The presiding judge was a state court judge in Reno. Each student had received an assignment as to which component of the trial they would be conducting over the course of the day.

“Maddie’s performance during the Academy was stellar,” said Fredrick H.L. McClure, Director of the Academy and a shareholder attorney at Trenam Law in Tampa, Fla. “So much so, that the faculty selected Maddie for two very significant roles in the final trial…She excelled at both! I have every confidence that Maddie will only get better over time. She shows the passion and commitment to being a really great lawyer.”

Learn more about our healthcare law practice at sturgillturner.com/medical-malpractice