On Thursday, Smith and the Orlando Police Foundation (501c3) announced a new endowed scholarship program funded by the foundation to help UCF criminal justice and legal studies students achieve their dreams �鶹��Ʒ S� and succeed in those high-demand fields.

“Providing scholarships opens the door of opportunity for students to have a bright future, �鶹��Ʒ S� Smith. �鶹��Ʒ S�This will undoubtedly help students succeed. It will also help agencies like OPD hire the best to join our agency.”

The Orlando Police Department Endowed Scholars of Excellence Fund established a $75,000 endowment that will award two undergraduate students annually with $1,500 scholarships. Eligible UCF students can apply for the new endowed scholarship via the Office of Student Financial Assistance beginning in Spring 2025.

The new endowment was announced on a day dedicated to engaging alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students, fans and the community in playing a part in the success of the university. Gifts made throughout the day support UCF academic programs, faculty excellence, student success, athletics and more.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The generosity of chief Smith and the Orlando Police Foundation will benefit our students and our community for generations to come, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation. �鶹��Ʒ S�Philanthropy is so important to the future of our university. It strengthens our academic programs, fuels life-changing student scholarships and helps faculty conduct groundbreaking research. We appreciate all of our donors who have stepped up to support UCF during our Day of Giving. �鶹��Ʒ S�

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s criminal justice program is a leading talent pipeline to many area law enforcement agencies, including OPD, which employs many UCF alumni in sworn and civilian roles. Many graduates also serve with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Secret Service, UCF Police Department, and sheriff �鶹��Ʒ S�s offices across Orange, Seminole and Brevard counties, among other agencies.

Criminal justice graduates are in high demand in many sectors, including in the courts, corrections, advocacy, juvenile justice and cybersecurity.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s legal studies program is located at UCF Downtown, close to the Orange County Courthouse, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and many other job and internship opportunities. Students can develop professional skills through participating on highly successful mediation and moot court teams and an undergraduate law journal. Many students go on to law school and then successful careers with law firms throughout Florida and beyond. Students also can be hired as paralegals after they earn their bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our students learn from outstanding faculty members and partners with strong backgrounds in the criminal justice and legal studies fields, and they graduate well-prepared to thrive in their careers, �鶹��Ʒ S� says B. Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education. �鶹��Ʒ S�By investing in the success of our students, chief Smith and the Orlando Police Department Foundation will help them grow their talents, identify and pursue their ideal careers, and go onto serve and protect their communities. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Smith graduated from UCF in 1993 with a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in criminal justice. After working for OPD for 28 years, Smith became chief in 2022.

He initially moved to Orlando to play football at UCF. As a student, he completed an internship with what is now Homeland Security Investigations. He says the contacts he made proved invaluable for allowing him to step into his career.

The Orlando Police Foundation was formed in July 2020 as a support organization for the men and women of OPD.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We wanted to create a foundation to help provide financial assistance to members of law enforcement in their times of need, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Joe Nunziata, president of the Orlando Police Foundation and CEO of FBC Mortgage LLC. �鶹��Ʒ S�We like to say that we are there to protect the protectors. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�Conflict is rampant in society, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Alisa Smith, associate professor and chair of the legal studies department. �鶹��Ʒ S�Students and professionals who earn a conflict resolution and analysis certificate will have a deeper understanding of the origins and root causes of conflicts, and they will learn strategies for resolving interpersonal and community conflicts. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The 15-credit-hour program is based at UCF Downtown in the legal studies department, with one for undergraduates and another for graduate students. �鶹��Ʒ S�As lawyers, we �鶹��Ʒ S�re used to seeing conflicts move through the process and get resolved one way or the other, �鶹��Ʒ S� says circuit civil mediator and visiting lecturer, Elizabeth Gillham. �鶹��Ʒ S�That �鶹��Ʒ S�s why I think the legal studies department is the perfect home for this certificate. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Kristin Grossman, a legal studies adjunct professor and Florida Supreme Court certified family mediator, echoes this sentiment: �鶹��Ʒ S�A lot of times lawyers lack the skills to self-regulate and move through conflict in adaptive ways. �鶹��Ʒ S� This certificate will prepare future lawyers and students interested in legal careers the chance to learn how to navigate conflict personally and professionally, in an inherently adversarial system, says Grossman.

Conflict exists outside of the legal system as well, and students from any program can participate in the certificate.

Whether there �鶹��Ʒ S�s a dispute between neighbors about where a fence should go or a family squabble, conflict is everywhere.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s because people are people, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Grossman.

Students from any program, pursing any career field, can benefit from the lessons learned in this certificate. Future social workers, human resource managers, insurance claim representatives, business majors and psychology students are all examples of people who could profit from the skills of recognizing conflict, analyzing it and then resolving it as peacefully as possible.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Wherever you find yourself, whatever sector you find yourself in, you �鶹��Ʒ S�re going to have an expanded capacity to be able to navigate conflict skillfully, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Grossman.

The coursework differs for undergraduate and graduate students, but the core classes are fundamentally the same. Students will learn the theoretical basis behind conflict and engage in role-play scenarios to practice their newly acquired skills. Once the core classes are complete, students are required to choose two electives, many of which are housed in other departments at UCF, such as communications, management and public administration.

In addition to more advanced coursework, graduate students �鶹��Ʒ S� certificate experience includes a required practicum, where they will be working in Orange County community schools, flexing their conflict-resolution skills. Grossman explains the practicum as an opportunity for graduate students to assist high school students, their parents, administrators and teachers move through conflict.

Undergraduate students will have the option to choose between working in elementary-level community schools or joining UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s mediation team, which simulates a mediation conference between two parties involved in a dispute, says head coach Gillham.

Both certificates will be available online.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Conflict is woven into the fabric of a society, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Gillham. �鶹��Ʒ S�Having these basic skills of recognizing conflict, getting to the heart of it, and then working towards resolving it are going to be important no matter what field you go into. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�By establishing an undergraduate law journal, UCF joins a very elite group of universities that provides students this unique, unparalleled and quintessential experiential learning opportunity, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Alisa Smith, chair of the Department of Legal Studies.

Patricia �鶹��Ʒ S�Trish �鶹��Ʒ S� Cashman, a local attorney and longstanding member of the Department of Legal Studies Advisory Board, said the process of creating the journal provides a great educational benefit for the students and is a great way to educate and connect with the local community.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s a journal that has something for many different people in the community who are interested in different issues, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Cashman, also a legal studies adjunct professor for UCF. �鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s a great way to engage people in thought for them to potentially learn something new. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Legal studies professors recommended students for the editorial board during the fall semester, and UCF legal studies professor James Beckman, who served as the journal �鶹��Ʒ S�s faculty advisor, selected the inaugural board, which comprised 15 students.

As part of the journal �鶹��Ʒ S�s board, students enrolled in a new legal-studies course focused on the best practices involved in preparing and editing an academic scholarly journal for publication in Spring 2018. The students also completed extensive research and reading in order to conduct multiple blind peer reviews typical for an academic journal and conducted extensive editing of the accepted articles prior to publication.

The editorial board invited UCF students from any major to submit articles. By late January, the editorial board had received more than 50 in-depth and well-researched pieces covering a variety of topics for the journal. They chose 12 articles and a book review for publication. Topics in the 175-page journal include President Trump �鶹��Ʒ S�s use of social media, the impact of race on the U.S. correctional system, and the legality of police officers �鶹��Ʒ S� use of automatic scanners and whether such practices are privacy violations.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It was so wonderful to do it and publish it at the end, �鶹��Ʒ S� says legal studies junior Samantha Forkel, who authored �鶹��Ʒ S�Making Millions of Dollars off Constitutional Violations. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S�I learned a lot about legal writing and editing. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�I enjoy knowing when I get up and put on a suit, I �鶹��Ʒ S�m going to be utilized, I �鶹��Ʒ S�m going to be useful, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said.

Borges, a senior legal studies student at UCF, is one of 70 UCF student interns from the Legal Studies Department this summer �鶹��Ʒ S� an increase from 66 student interns from summer 2016 through spring 2017.

Marc Consalo, the new internship coordinator for the department, is excited to see a growing interest in student internships.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When I took the program over, I wanted to expand the definition of what a legal studies internship meant, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�In the past, people thought it meant that you were going to a law office, do some filing, maybe do some client interactions. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Student interns work at public and private law offices, the public defender �鶹��Ʒ S�s office for Orange and Osceola counties, law firms, the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida, to name a few places.

All the students are not located in Central Florida during the summer either; some students intern in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Collier counties, as well as in Coral Gables and Boca Raton.

As one of 12 interns with the public defender �鶹��Ʒ S�s office, Borges gets ample opportunities to work on various law projects, meet with and interact with clients, and work side-by-side with other attorneys.

It was intimidating in the beginning, Borges said.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Knowing I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve never had any legal background, I knew I had to put my best foot forward, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said.

Thankfully, he hasn �鶹��Ʒ S�t had to go on the journey alone; many attorneys and judges have been willing to share their wisdom with interns like Borges.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Everybody has been very helpful, especially when you are new and don �鶹��Ʒ S�t understand the routines and the system, �鶹��Ʒ S� Borges said.

That is the key to success with internships, said Robert Wesley, public defender for Orange and Osceola counties.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We want to give them an authentic experience in the legal system, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�I don �鶹��Ʒ S�t think anybody is here to just resume build; they are really here to gain insight and valuable knowledge. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The public defender �鶹��Ʒ S�s office has worked with UCF to get interns for several years, but this year has seen a stronger relationship between the school and the office.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It never was as organized as this, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�Having a university in the community is such a blessing in so many ways. It �鶹��Ʒ S�s a benefit for us and I hope it �鶹��Ʒ S�s a benefit for the students. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Sara Fogarty can attest to the benefits of gaining an internship through UCF.

A senior legal studies student, Fogarty is also spending the summer interning with the public defender �鶹��Ʒ S�s office, which has helped her make up her mind on her career path in law school.

But she also recognizes the seriousness of what she does every day she passed through the courtroom doors.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My first day here, and even now, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s scary, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fogarty said. �鶹��Ʒ S�If you mess up in school, you get a few points off, but if you mess up here, you can jeopardize the case. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fogarty said that interning this summer has given her plenty of opportunities to talk with judges and attorneys about their career paths and does not mind spending most of her day in the law offices.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I absolutely love what I do here, �鶹��Ʒ S� she said. �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re supposed to do 12 hours a week, but I didn �鶹��Ʒ S�t listen. I do 20 to 30 hours a week because I want to get as much out of it as possible. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Neither of her parents earned college degrees, and growing up in a single-parent household meant there was little to no extra money to send her to school, she said. But when her fifth-grade teacher opened Fate �鶹��Ʒ S�s eyes to her potential, her vision of the future drastically changed.

At 21, Fate is now an alumna of the University of Central Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s Burnett Honors College. She graduated May 6 with bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in political science and legal studies, honors in the major, a 4.0 GPA and a near perfect score on the Law School Admission Test under her belt. Out of 180 possible points, Fate earned 178 and a seat at one of the country �鶹��Ʒ S�s most prestigious law schools, Harvard, where she sent her �鶹��Ʒ S�dream application, �鶹��Ʒ S� she said.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I knew since Rebecca was in my criminal law class in spring 2014 that she was extremely gifted and that she would do very, very well on the LSAT, �鶹��Ʒ S� said James Beckman, UCF professor of legal studies and Fate �鶹��Ʒ S�s Honors in the Major thesis chair. �鶹��Ʒ S�However, I must admit, when she told me that she scored nearly perfect, I was slightly taken aback. Not because I did not expect an extremely high score from her, but simply because I have never known a single student, of the over 1,000 students I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve taught, who has scored in the top 0.15 percent. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fate credits her success in education to her elementary school teacher who saw something special in her while giving her individualized curriculum. Fate, her mom and older sister a month into her fifth-grade classes moved from Oregon to the Tampa Bay area. When Fate �鶹��Ʒ S�s new teacher took her aside to help her get caught up to the rest of the class, the teacher noticed the young student already knew the material and more.

�鶹��Ʒ S�She encouraged me to do more because she felt I was ahead of the curriculum already, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fate said. �鶹��Ʒ S�It was a difficult transition moving to Florida, and school gave me something to focus on. The attention she gave me really helped. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fate �鶹��Ʒ S�s teacher encouraged her and her mom to consider a magnet school for sixth grade. Although hesitant at first �鶹��Ʒ S� considering it was a two-hour bus ride one way to the school �鶹��Ʒ S� Fate ultimately attended. That was the beginning of her college-bound path. She would continue on to a high school where there was an International Baccalaureate program filled with students whose expectations were to go to college. Being immersed into that atmosphere, where resources were in plenty to help students apply to college, gave Fate the vision she needed to continue her education.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It wasn �鶹��Ʒ S�t until the IB program and its expectations that I starting thinking about college, �鶹��Ʒ S� she said. �鶹��Ʒ S�College was never pushed on me. It just wasn �鶹��Ʒ S�t offered up as the obvious path. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fate applied to a handful of universities �鶹��Ʒ S� University of Florida, Florida State University, Vanderbilt University and ones back in Oregon �鶹��Ʒ S� but UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s offer of a full-ride National Merit Scholarship sealed the deal.

�鶹��Ʒ S�UCF just gave me the feeling that I was wanted here, �鶹��Ʒ S� she said. �鶹��Ʒ S�If I hadn �鶹��Ʒ S�t gotten a scholarship, it would �鶹��Ʒ S�ve been really difficult for me to come to college. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fate joined pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta, became a tutor at UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Student Academic Resource Center, and worked for the honors college as a student assistant and peer ambassador.

Now, Fate aspires to continue in higher education as a professor of law.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I like the university atmosphere and learning, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fate said. �鶹��Ʒ S�I just never want to leave. �鶹��Ʒ S�

For students taking the LSAT, Fate suggests diligently studying in the months leading up to the test and taking the LSAT practice tests. She bought LSAT preparation books to figure out which parts she struggled with, and studied daily.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I am confident that she will do extremely well at Harvard and I wouldn �鶹��Ʒ S�t be surprised in the least if she ends up at the top of her class at Harvard Law, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Beckman. �鶹��Ʒ S�It has been my great privilege to have interacted with Rebecca at UCF. �鶹��Ʒ S�

It �鶹��Ʒ S�s the first day of law school for the 19-year-old legal studies senior, who is attending Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law through a 3+3 Accelerated Law Program established by UCF and Barry Law.

Casallas is the first student in the program, which will enable him to complete a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree and a law degree in six years rather than the traditional seven, saving a year of time and tuition expenses.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This program works perfectly for me, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Casallas, who earned an associate degree from Valencia College while completing his diploma at Lake Nona High School.

In addition to reducing his time in college, the program is enabling Casallas to begin law school now because Barry offers a spring start date for new students. In fact, Barry is one of just a few accredited law programs to offer this option.

Casallas also was attracted to Barry �鶹��Ʒ S�s close proximity to UCF and his family, who moved from Colombia to Central Florida when he was seven.

Establishing an accelerated law program was a top goal for Professor James Beckman when he served as inaugural chair of the Department of Legal Studies from 2011 to 2016.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The fact that Barry Law is in Orlando made it a perfect partner for a 3+3 program, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Beckman. �鶹��Ʒ S�Students who have obligations tying them to Orlando or who cannot afford to leave Orlando can achieve both degrees here and a year earlier than normal. �鶹��Ʒ S�

As a legal studies major, Casallas already has been exposed to the topics he �鶹��Ʒ S�ll encounter in his first year of law school.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our curriculum includes legal research, legal writing, property, civil practice, criminal law, torts, constitutional law and contracts, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Rupert Neish, professional advisor for the legal studies program. �鶹��Ʒ S�Law school admission reps say our students tend to be well-prepared for their first year of law school. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Casallas said he has  �鶹��Ʒ S�loved the legal studies major �鶹��Ʒ S� and would recommend it to anyone. �鶹��Ʒ S�The professors really help you out, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�Everyone wants to help you succeed. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Alisa Smith, chair of the Department of Legal Studies since July 2016, said the accelerated law program �鶹��Ʒ S�is a great opportunity for motivated students. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�The best candidates for the program are students who have thought about law school for years, �鶹��Ʒ S� she said. �鶹��Ʒ S�They �鶹��Ʒ S�ll have an advantage working with the legal studies program early in their college career and in successfully completing the intensive 3+3 experience. �鶹��Ʒ S�

To be considered for the accelerated law program, UCF students must declare a legal studies major, apply to the accelerated program in their freshman or sophomore year, and attend college full time. Students in the accelerated program must meet the eligibility and admission requirements at Barry Law to gain admission.

Casallas said he feels ready for law school thanks to his education at UCF and his use of daily exercise to relieve stress. �鶹��Ʒ S�If you have a healthy body, you have a healthy mind, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said.

Barry Law student Clyde Lemon approved. �鶹��Ʒ S�Keep that mentality. You �鶹��Ʒ S�re going to need it, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. As a third-year student, Lemon knows the law school well. �鶹��Ʒ S�We call ourselves the Barry Law Family, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re always willing to help each other out. We �鶹��Ʒ S�re all going through the same thing. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Casallas recently attended Admit Day for incoming students at Barry Law. �鶹��Ʒ S�It was amazing. I met a lot of interesting students and everyone was so excited, �鶹��Ʒ S� he said. �鶹��Ʒ S�That kind of energy is contagious. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We are very excited to have Rafael as our first student in the 3 + 3 program, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Barry Law Dean Leticia Diaz. �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re enthusiastically looking forward to this first admission paving the way for more UCF students in the legal studies program to follow suit and join us here at Barry Law. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Diaz said she thinks the 3+3 program is an excellent way for students at UCF to seamlessly transition to Barry Law and get an early start on their path to a legal career. �鶹��Ʒ S�Fortunately, we have amazing faculty and a dedicated staff to help guide students through the process, �鶹��Ʒ S� she added.

Ten years from now, Casallas hopes to look back and celebrate his decision to attend law school. In the interim, he looks forward to earning his bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s and law degrees and to launching a successful career.

In addition to the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program at Barry, two other accelerated law programs are available to UCF students. For information about UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s program with Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in New York (Long Island), contact rupert.neish@ucf.edu. For information about UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s program with Florida State University of Law, open to all majors, contact the UCF Office of Pre-Health and Pre-Law Advising at phpladvising@ucf.edu. The first UCF student to enter the accelerated law program at FSU began last fall (see ).

(Photo by Abi Bell)

For the second year in a row, three judges from Florida’s  will preside over the session in a make-shift “courtroom.” The chief judge will be the Honorable C. Alan Lawson, accompanied by the Honorable Wendy W. Berger and the Honorable James A. Edwards.

The panel of judges will listen to oral arguments made by real attorneys on real cases. Students will have an opportunity to participate in a Q & A session with the court.

The inaugural event was a big success in 2015. According to event organizer Margarita Koblasz, an associate lecturer in the Department of Legal Studies, a crowd of more than 250 attended, and the judges had only positive things to say afterwards. Plans are for UCF to continue to host this event annually.

For more information, contact Katie Connolly at katiec@ucf.edu.

In 2013 four UCF students were the first in the university �鶹��Ʒ S�s history to earn coveted bids to compete in the annual Championship Tournament of the American Collegiate Moot Court Association.

Twice that number of students will represent UCF at the 2016 tournament, this Friday and Saturday at California State University, Long Beach.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Sending eight students is a great achievement, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Cynthia Schmidt, the lead faculty advisor and coach for UCF Moot Court, as well as a lecturer and director of the Center for Law and Policy in the Department of Legal Studies in the College of Health and Public Affairs. �鶹��Ʒ S�It demonstrates we �鶹��Ʒ S�ve found a model of preparation that �鶹��Ʒ S�s successful. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Moot court competition has been a mainstay extracurricular activity at law schools for years. Law students compete by participating in simulated appeals court proceedings and making oral arguments in front of judges.

The ACMA launched a series of moot court competitions for undergraduate students in 2001. Its Championship Tournament has just 160 slots for competitors and draws students from colleges and universities across the country.

This year �鶹��Ʒ S�s ACMA competitors began their quest for a bid to �鶹��Ʒ S�nationals �鶹��Ʒ S� last fall by competing in scrimmages and qualifying regional tournaments. They competed in teams of two, presenting oral arguments for and against a case.

At the Midwest Regional Tournament in Wooster, Ohio, UCF teammates David Moosmann and Chris Chambers won the tournament �鶹��Ʒ S� for the second year in a row �鶹��Ʒ S� earning them automatic bids to nationals. UCF teammates Angel Sanchez and Eric Sorice placed third, earning them automatic bids as well. In addition, Chambers won the tournament �鶹��Ʒ S�s top orator award.

UCF teammates Princelee Clesca and Austyn White earned bids to nationals as a result of their strong performance at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament in Virginia Beach, Va., while UCF teammates Carlos Vasquez and Shane McGlashen earned bids after performing well at the South Atlantic Regional Tournament in Deland, Fla.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re developing a national reputation as the school folks want to beat, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Moosmann.

In recent weeks, the eight students have focused on reading court case proceedings and honing their oral argument skills to prepare for this week’s tournament.

McGlashen said he �鶹��Ʒ S�s been searching through case law for additional authoritative sources to support his oral arguments. He also has been listening to recordings of oral arguments made in front of Supreme Court justices.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The best medicine for nervousness is preparation, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Moosmann.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Preparing for the tournaments helps students learn how to collaborate with teammates in the design and presentation of arguments, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Schmidt, who will accompany the team to California. �鶹��Ʒ S�That sort of environment does much to explain their success along with their own hard work and talents. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Legal studies Chair James Beckman has high praise for her efforts and those of Jason Fiesta, also a lecturer of legal studies and the assistant faculty advisor and coach for UCF Moot Court.

“Cindy and Jason have given an incredible amount of their time, attention and resources to these students, including countless evenings and weekends,” Beckman said.

With that support and endless hours of preparation, the students said they are ready and �鶹��Ʒ S�can �鶹��Ʒ S�t wait �鶹��Ʒ S� for the tournament to begin.

UCF Moot Court is open to students in any major on campus. The majors of the students identified here are as follows: Chris Chambers (philosophy, political science), Princelee Clesca (legal studies; political science, pre-law track), Shane McGlashen (political science, pre-law track), David Moosmann (economics, philosophy), Angel Sanchez (legal studies, political science), Eric Sorice (legal studies), Carlos Vasquez (psychology [Burnett Honors College]) and Austyn White (legal studies).

They �鶹��Ʒ S�re heading to Orlando because the University of Central Florida is hosting the competition.

UCF will host the national tournament April 11-13 at the Orange County Courthouse. The event will bring together the nation �鶹��Ʒ S�s top undergraduate mock trial teams to compete in a simulated trial. Families of participating students may attend.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Forty-eight teams have earned a bid to compete, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Margarita Koblasz, the tournament coordinator and a faculty member in UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Department of Legal Studies. �鶹��Ʒ S�That �鶹��Ʒ S�s down from 549 teams that began the road to nationals in February. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A series of regional and open-round champion tournaments whittled down the competition to the top 48 teams, she added. UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s team placed first runner-up.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Students put in an enormous amount of time preparing for and competing in these tournaments, �鶹��Ʒ S� said legal studies’ Chair James Beckman. �鶹��Ʒ S�They develop critical thinking, public speaking and leadership skills that will serve them the rest of their lives. �鶹��Ʒ S�

At this week �鶹��Ʒ S�s tournament, pairs of teams will be pitted against each other in a series of matches. One team will serve as the prosecution and the other as the defense. They �鶹��Ʒ S�ll try a fictitious case involving a robbery, chase and death at an amusement park.

Nearly 190 real-life attorneys and judges from the region have volunteered to serve as judges. �鶹��Ʒ S�The support of Central Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s legal community is invaluable, �鶹��Ʒ S� Koblasz said.

The two top teams will compete in a final match at 5 p.m. on April 13.

UCF earned the coveted honor of hosting the national tournament because of its reputation for hosting such excellent regional tournaments, according to Beckman.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Under Margarita �鶹��Ʒ S�s leadership, UCF has set the standard, �鶹��Ʒ S� Beckman said. �鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s certain to be a terrific event. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Note:  The tournament is open to students and their families. However, local television station WKMG will provide live streaming of the final round, and Phipps Reporting will provide live streaming of a transcript. To view the live streams, visit . For the complete tournament schedule, visit .

The program will allow qualified UCF students to earn both a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in legal studies from UCF and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Barry Law in six years.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This partnership with UCF will be a game-changer for the next generation of law students in Orlando, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barry Law Dean Leticia M. Diaz said following a signing ceremony with Michael Frumkin, dean of UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s College of Health and Public Affairs. �鶹��Ʒ S�Barry Law has had a long and rewarding relationship with UCF, and the school already is well-represented in our student body. The 3+3 program will allow UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s most talented students to advance the path to their professional legal careers. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The program will be the first of its kind in the Orlando area. Students pursuing a J.D. typically complete a four-year undergraduate program, followed by three years of law school. Under the UCF-Barry Law 3+3 program, students spend three years at UCF and three at Barry Law, completing the requirements for their UCF bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree during their first year of law school.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This is an exciting opportunity for UCF and Barry Law, �鶹��Ʒ S� Frumkin said. �鶹��Ʒ S�We see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership between the two institutions, both to enhance our respective educational efforts and to undertake joint projects focused on enhancing the quality of community life. �鶹��Ʒ S�

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Legal Studies Chair James Beckman said the partnership �鶹��Ʒ S�s potential is enormous. �鶹��Ʒ S�Barry Law is a popular choice each year for numerous UCF students who desire to stay in Orlando after their undergraduate career, �鶹��Ʒ S� he explained. �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re thrilled to be taking steps to solidify our relationship with Barry Law �鶹��Ʒ S� and our students will definitely benefit from this new partnership in years to come. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Deans Diaz and Frumkin signed an agreement for the 3+3 program this week. Once formally approved by the universities, the program will be available to students entering UCF in the fall of 2014. Complete details on the program, including enrollment criteria, will be available at .