Brian
Chase '11 and Joel Feinman
'07
It
probably will not surprise you to learn that the
coaches of the Arizona Law trial teams are
themselves trial advocacy stand-outs. The
coaches, Brian Chase
('11) and Joel Feinman ('07)
both achieved recognition of their trial abilities
while students at Arizona Law and have continued
their trial work in practice.
Brian, a
two-time Wildcat (BA'08, JD'11), chose Arizona Law
specifically for its strengths in trial practice.
"For law school, I looked at many options, but
Arizona Law was the best. It offered the best
education for the best price. Plus, I knew I
wanted to be a trial lawyer, and with Professor Mauet at
Arizona Law, I was confident I would receive
superb training and trial experience."
Brian
was right. As a student, he won the 2011 William
T. Birmingham Award for Advanced Trial Advocacy
and the Jenckes Closing Argument Competition in
2010.
These
days, Brian manages his own law firm, the Law
Office of Brian Chase, PLLC ,
where he specializes in plaintiff's personal
injury work and criminal defense work. He also
runs his own computer consulting/computer
forensics company, Chase
Technology Consulting, that helps lawyers deal
with everything from digital evidence and computer
forensics to picking the right software for their
offices.
This
year was Brian's first year as official coach of
the Arizona Law Trial Team, though last year he
served as an assistant coach for the team and
organized the regional competition, which Arizona
Law hosted for the first time.
While
it is his first official year as coach, Brian is
no stranger to mock trial. Brian was himself a
student on the Arizona Law team, the University of
Arizona undergraduate mock trial team, and an
undergraduate mock trial coach. Brian has
participated in mock trial in one form or another
for almost a decade.
Outside
of his law practice, computer consulting, and mock
trial work Brian is a volunteer for Therapeutic
Riding of Tucson. He is also
board member for the Pima County Bar Association's
Young Lawyers Division.
Joel
Feinman has every reason to be proud of his mock
trial work. Joel, a member of the Pima County Public
Defender's Felony Team, has coached the Cholla
High School Mock Trial Team since 2007, adding the
Arizona Law trial team to his repertoire in
2011.
Like
Brian, Joel also garnered advocacy awards as a law
student; the William T. Birmingham
Advanced Trial Advocacy Award in 2006 and the
Jenckes Closing Argument Competition in 2005 and
2006.
Joel,
an Arizona native, completed his undergraduate
studies at Northwestern University, returning to
his native state to earn a dual degree (Masters
Degree in Latin American Studies and JD) from the
University of Arizona in 2007.
In
addition to his commitment to mock trial, Joel has
been recognized for his trial work at the Public
Defender's office. In 2011 Joel
received the "Rising Star Award" by the Arizona
Public Defender Association. And, in 2012,
Joel received the ""Rule 11 King" award"
from Judge Deborah Bernini of the Pima County
Superior Court.
Those
of you in the Tucson community may remember Joel
from the remarkable story of his Mount
Kilimanjaro climb with his
mother in 2007.
In
addition to all he does for the law school, Joel
serves on the Board of Directors for Planned
Parenthood, the Arizona State Bar Mentorship
Committee, and as a mentor for the Pima County
Juvenile Court Mentorship Program. I hear rumors
that in his spare time, he is building himself a
new dining room
table.