Students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell served as expert medical witnesses during the sixth National Medical-Legal Trial Competition on Oct. 6-8.
The event, hosted annually by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, is the only trial competition in the country where a medical school and a law school collaborate to simulate real-life expert testimony by doctors.
This year, 20 law schools from across the country competed with 13 medical students as medical expert witnesses.
“The intersection of law and medicine often receives insufficient attention in many medical school curricula; nevertheless, most physicians will inevitably find themselves interacting with lawyers at some point in their careers, whether it involves issues like medical malpractice or domestic abuse, or when they serve as medical expert witnesses,” said Dr. Gino Farina, associate dean for Clinical Preparation for Residency and professor of Emergency Medicine and Science Education, Zucker School of Medicine, who has been involved with the competition since its inception. “This program elective for fourth-year medical students is an innovative approach to education that enriches the knowledge and skills of our students while promoting interdisciplinary cooperation between the fields of medicine and law.”
Upon release of the fact pattern, each law school was assigned a fourth-year medical student to prepare as an expert witness for the fictitious civil trial involving dueling medical experts.
Competing law schools included last year’s champs, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, as well as St. John’s University School of Law, Brooklyn School of Law, the University of Nevada Las Vegas Boyd School of Law, and more.
All rounds were judged by practicing attorneys or sitting Judges. This year, the University of Illinois College of Law-Urbana, aided by Zucker School of Medicine fourth-year student Kristy (Sungmin) Hong, captured first place. “I knew my participation would bring a lot of new experiences and take me out of my comfort zone, and it really did,” said Hong, who received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. “This elective has become one of my most memorable experiences in medical school.”
For the competition, Hong, a resident of Bayside, Queens, was also assigned to assist students from Fordham University School of Law, exposing her to two different approaches to the same case. “It was rewarding to work with two schools! My two teams went against each other in the second case, and midway through, I had to switch from being the plaintiff to being the defense’s witness, which was a bit of an abrupt transition,” explained Hong. “Working on two teams made me more confident speaking on the stand and discussing the case. I learned how to form a medical-legal argument, work with law students and understand the law better, and communicate clearly and effectively for a jury.”
Chicago-Kent College of Law, with medical student Michael Barton as the expert witness, placed second in the competition.
Barton, a Wantagh resident, was named Best Expert in Preliminary Rounds. Barton also had the opportunity to testify for two schools and made it to the semifinals as the expert witness for Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, competing against Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law aided by medical expert Grant Berland.
“I loved working with both schools, and they were both great in their own ways,” said Barton, a Yale University graduate who has participated in similar competitions. “I think participation in the mock trial helps you develop your communication skills and understand the importance of clarity and accuracy in the work you do as a physician. I hope that some of the skills I gained stay with me – being a better communicator, for example. Above all else, I enjoyed getting to know the future lawyers on both of my teams and making new friends in an unconventional way.”
Quarterfinalists included the University of South Carolina School of Law with medical expert Rebecca Mirochnik, Mercer University School of Law with medical expert Griffin Hornung, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law with medical expert James Lassen, and the American University Washington School of Law with medical expert Mitchell Lee Seitz.
“It has been interesting seeing the way in which a team of lawyers approaches a case, what they focus on, and their decision-making in how to present information,” said Astoria, Queens resident Seitz, who is pursuing a specialty in anesthesiology.
During the mock trial, the student witnesses were cross-examined on material relevant to their testimony, including literature not contained in the fact pattern. Each competing school had access to leading industry consultants from DOAR, a nationally renowned litigation strategy and expert witness consulting firm, for graphic and presentation support. The first four rounds of the competition took place at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, NY, and concluded with the semifinals and final rounds at Hofstra Law School In Hempstead, NY, which served as organizer and host but did not compete.
“Hofstra Law School is honored to have the opportunity to host this annual event, which is the most unique mock trial competition in the country,” stated tournament director Jared Rosenblatt, special professor of law at Hofstra Law School and faculty advisor to the Hofstra Trial Advocacy Association. “Working with Dr. Farina and the Zucker School of Medicine has been a great endeavor. Our partnership allowed us to successfully bring both medical and law students together for this one-of-a-kind experience.”
