Patton & Ryan To Participate In The 4th Annual Howlett Cup Mock Trial Tournament
January 24, 2017
This spring, the trial lawyers of Patton & Ryan will be lending their trial expertise to Chicagoland’s potential future lawyers in their preparation for the upcoming 4th Annual Howlett Cup Mock Trial Tournament. Founded in 2014 in honor of the late Honorable Michael J. Howlett, Jr., Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, the competition originally consisted of four local area Jesuit high schools but has now grown to include eight area Catholic high schools: Loyola Academy, Cristo Rey, Cristo Rey St. Martin, Christ the King College Prep, St. Ignatius College Prep, DePaul College Prep, Trinity High School and Fenwick. The competition will be held on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago, Illinois.
This year’s case, Pat Dunn v. Chris Davies, arose out of a fight during a semi-professional hockey game between opposing players Plaintiff Pat Dunn and Defendant Chris Davies. Dunn has now filed suit in the State of Illinois, Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit, Lincoln County, against Davies based on theories of negligence and battery, alleging that he sustained numerous injuries which resulted in substantial medical bills and lost work as a result of Davies’s conduct during the game. Specifically, Dunn alleges that Davies struck Dunn in the head with a hockey stick during the altercation.
In preparation for the competition, the tournament organizers have developed a mock trial boot camp for high school students to learn the fundamentals of trial advocacy and competing in mock trials. On January 28, 2017, Patton & Ryan Associate Mark Javier will provide substantive instruction to the students on every stage of trial including opening statements, direct and cross examinations, and closing arguments. Additionally, Partner Paul Motz and a team of Patton & Ryan trial associates will lead group workshops conducting hands-on training for the students on effective trial techniques. The boot camp will be held at the Loyola University School of Law.