Closing Argument Presentations at the National Economic University

My long teaching day ended on a very high note in the law school mock trial room at the Vadym Hetman National Economic University of Kyiv. I heard from five students who had prepared to deliver closing arguments. The presenters had all done their homework, and I was blown away with their minute comprehension of the intricate details of the case file. In preparing to come to Kyiv I had studied the case file many times over a period of three months, and yet these young students, working in a foreign language, had perceived factual nuances and arguments which I had entirely overlooked. Only one of the students, Kate, chose to present for the prosecution, and she was truly outstanding, presenting a comprehensive and persuasive case-in-chief. The other students all presented argument for the defense. I was struck by the diverse theories and themes they developed. Each of them were very powerful and ingenious. While I have been very impressed with the performance to date of individual students from all of the schools, the law students from the National Economic University, as a group, seem the ones to beat in the Spring mock trial competition. Today's interaction with these beautiful and bright young people was a pure delight.