Harvard Mock Trial Association

The Instructors

Who is teaching this thing...?

The Harvard Mock Trial Association has nearly thirty members, all of whom are veterans of Mock Trial. They know how to compete at the national level, and they know what it takes to get to that level. At the Seminar, you'll get to speak and interact with all of them.

The Seminars themselves are taught by some of the most experienced members of Harvard Mock Trial. We call these individuals "The Instructors." While they all have different backgrounds in mock trial--some are attorneys, some are witnesses, some did high school mock trial, and some did not--the Instructors all have one important thing in common. They love Mock Trial, and they love teaching what they know to other people.

Here is some information about just a few of our Seminar Instructors:

Ethan Amaker

Witness Instructor

Specialty: Expert witness portrayal; Lending credibility to untruthful witnesses

Awards: Ethan is one of the most decorated witnesses in Harvard history. He was an All-Regional Witness in 2008 and 2010, an All-ORCS Witness in 2009 and 2010, an All-American Witness on this season's National Runner-Up team, and has won a myriad of awards at some of the country's most prestigious invitational tournaments.

Bio: A versatile performer, Ethan has played an eclectic collection of witnesses during his four years of Collegiate Mock Trial, including a psychiatrist, an HIV/AIDS Specialist, a professor of journalism, a CEO of a major news network, and a crime scene investigator. Last year, Ethan also held the role of a film director/convicted murderer, a role which he portrayed in last year's Championship Trial. Ethan is excited for one more year with Harvard Mock Trial--and the seminars--before graduation will mark his departure from the world of fake accents and big words.

Fun Fact: Ethan is far and away the most impeccable dresser on Harvard's Team, and his well-matched three-piece suits help him play witnesses who can tell bald-faced lies to the jury and still sound believable.

Miranda Beltzer

Witness Instructor

Specialty: Character witness portrayal

Awards: Miranda was named an All-American Witness at the 2010 National Championship, where her team finished 1st in its Division. She was also an All-ORCS Witness and an Outstanding Witness at the 2009 Crimson Classic.

Bio: After years of involvement in musical theater, Miranda finally came to terms with her singing abilities (or lack thereof) and joined her high school's mock trial team, which was a much better fit. Miranda continued to be involved in mock trial from the beginning of her arrival at Harvard, where as a freshman she was handpicked to join Harvard's A-team. She didn't disappoint, competing in six tournaments her first year, winning awards at four of them, and playing a key role on the Harvard team that beat out over 600 other teams to finish 2nd in the country this spring.

Fun fact: Although she now uses a fairly convincing New York accent in trial, Miranda very unconvincingly assumed a southern accent for her very first mock trial in college. You should ask her to replicate it when you meet her at the seminars!

Tyler Hall

Closing Statement Instructor

Specialty: Closing arguments, rebutting, and swaying the jury.

Awards: Tyler was named an All-American Attorney at the 2010 National Championship, where his prosecution team was undefeated, and the overall team placed 1st in its division, finishing as the National Runner-Up. Tyler also has experience as a witness, and was the #1 ranked witness at the 2009 New Haven Regional Tournament.

Bio: Tyler is a testament to the success of Harvard Mock Trial's training methods. Upon joining the team as a sophomore, he had no mock trial experience and little public speaking experience of any kind. After learning from some of the very same people who used to lecture at these seminars, he has since helped lead Harvard to top finishes at both regional and national competitions, and has delivered closing arguments at the highest levels of mock trial competition, including the final round at last spring's National Championship Tournament. He now serves as one of the Co-Captains of Harvard's A-team and looks forward to transmitting his knowledge and experience to the next generation of mock trialers.

Fun Fact: Tyler's teammates often make fun of the hand gestures he makes during impassioned moments of his closings, the most notable of which is one gesture they have dubbed "male spirit fingers." He politely asks that you not bring this up during his lecture.

Jean-Paul Jacquet

Opening Statements Instructor

Specialty: Impassioned pleas to the jury in opening statements

Awards: In his two years of high school mock trial, Jean-Paul was twice awarded the top attorney award for the state of Louisiana. He has continued this tradition at Harvard, winning both top attorney and top witness awards at the invitational, regional, and national level. This past spring, Jean-Paul received the distinction of All-American competitor for his performance on Harvard's A-Team at the 2010 National Championship Tournament.

Bio: After two years on his high school's speech and debate team, Jean-Paul decided to expand his public speaking repertoire by joining the mock trial team. He enjoyed the experience immensely, and resolved to continue training for a future legal career in college. Performing as both an attorney and a witness for the past two years, Jean-Paul has aided his team in reaching and winning at the highest levels of mock trial competition. He is currently serving as one of the Co-Captains of Harvard's A-team

Fun Fact: Jean-Paul enjoys hot chocolate very much.

Joseph Resnek

Cross Examination Instructor

Specialty: Killer cross examination

Awards: As a freshmen, Joe was named an All-Regional Attorney at the 2008 Regional Competition, where his undefeated prosecution team earned the program a bid to the National Tournament. Joe was also an All-Regional Attorney in 2009 and 2010 and an All-National Attorney in 2008 and 2009. In addition, Joe was the Co-Captain of the 2010 Harvard team that placed second at the National Championship Tournament in Memphis, where he earned the distinction of All-American Attorney.

Bio: Having portrayed Atticus Finch in his high school's production of "To Kill a Mockingbird", Joe brought to the team a background in theater and oratory. He was inducted into the program as a freshman and competed at both regional and national college tournaments across the country. In his first year, Joe was recruited directly onto Harvard's top team--a team that would place 2nd in its Division at the 2008 National Championship Tournament.

Fun fact: Although Joe's specialty is cross-examination, in most cases he also plays a witness. His "character", however, is always exactly the same--a well-dressed, uneducated, working-class father with a strong Boston accent who tries to use (but often mispronounces) sophisticated words. Watching Joe try to adapt this character to the affidavit of a world-famous movie star was especially fun.

Christopher Ballesteros

Direct Examination Instructor

Specialty: Winning on direct; Insulating witnesses for cross

Awards: Chris was named an All-Regional Attorney at the 2010 Regional Tournament, and his undefeated defense team earned the program a bid to the Opening Round Championship Series. He was also named an Outstanding Attorney at the 2009 Crimson Classic.

Bio: Chris started competing in mock trial his freshmen year of college, after participating in various speech and debate events in high school. Although he won six state championships in Hawaii, he decided to make the switch to mock trial because of his interest in a legal career. Immediately after joining the team, he was pulled up to Harvard's B Team, who he helped win the New Haven Regional Championship. Chris taught direct examinations in 2009, and, as a current Seminar Director, looks forward to improving the program for 2010 and beyond.

Fun Fact: Chris is a black belt in Karate, and also teaches it in his home state of Hawaii. We try not to make him angry.