August 19, 2025 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Athletic training faculty from the Department of Exercise Science partnered with Joseph F. Rice School of Law Mock Trial Club advisor Brett Bayne over the summer to educate both students and professionals about real-life experiences they might encounter as athletic trainers and attorneys. The mock trial event took place in July after exercise science faculty Amy Fraley and Jim Mensch saw an opportunity to engage USC students in the 2025 Pre-Conference Education Course that is offered each year prior to the annual meeting of the South Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association.
“This year, we really wanted to provide a practical learning experience that would help South Carolina athletic trainers and athletic training students reflect on their current emergency management and concussion practices and truly prepare for situations they may encounter in their careers,” says Fraley, the daughter of a retired family court judge. “Unfortunately, lawsuits that focus on prevention, treatment, and their documentation are becoming more common. We thought this type of scenario would be the perfect opportunity to help athletic training and law students prepare for their future careers and the ways in which their disciplines might intersect.”
The mock trial that Fraley and Mensch designed was focused on a fictional concussion
experienced by a 17-year-old high school football star and the subsequent impact on
his academic and athletic performance. The student, Jimmy Smith (played by athletic
training student Chris Gresham), and his family were suing his school’s head athletic trainer (played by Sheila Gordon, past-president of SCATA and a current preceptor for athletic training students during
clinical placements) and the school district for his academic losses (i.e., he dropped
out of school) and the college football scholarship that was revoked after he did
not return to play.
The Honorable James F. Fraley, Jr (a two-time USC alumnus and, yes, Amy Fraley’s dad) presided as judge and third-year law students William Raffone and Krishna Alexander each played the role of legal counsel. Athletic training/exercise science clinical associate professor Zachary Winkelmann (Expert Witness) and Prisma Health Athletic Trainer/Arnold School alumnus Jonathan Jenkins (Bailiff) rounded out the cast, while 12 athletic training students filled the jury box in the law school’s Karen J. Williams Courtroom.
Ten times the usual number of pre-conference attendees showed up for the mock trial – nearly a quarter of the total conference participation. The trial, which did not yield a verdict but instead challenged the audience to consider a range of possible outcomes, provided a learning opportunity for current and future athletic trainers to consider how to best be prepared for emergencies and how to go about updating their protocols to follow best practice recommendations for concussion care. It’s also a reminder of the importance of proper documentation in case they ever have to defend their actions.
“Playing the student athlete perspective as an athletic training student was incredible,” Gresham says. “We touch on the legal side of our profession in our program, but witnessing it first-hand, especially with a case such as this that we’ve seen and even managed in our clinical rotations, was eye opening. The law students did an amazing job simulating the experience to reinforce everything we’ve learned.”
For law students, the experience gave them the chance to enact an entire trial – fully scripted from start to finish and documenting every angle of various legal considerations. They practiced courtroom procedures, roles within the legal system, and the application of law both within the courtroom and beyond.
“Trials are a test of strength, resolve, and an advocate’s ability to juggle rules, facts, the law, and strategy simultaneously,” Raffone says. “Working with amazing people like Krishna and honing our skills with an opportunity like this is invaluable, and I cannot thank Brett Bayne, Amy Fraley, and Jim Mensch enough for a truly memorable experience.”
“This mock trial has been a cutting-edge collaboration between the Arnold School and USC Law School and highlights the unique opportunity for interdisciplinary, real-life learning,” Mensch adds. “The event was extremely popular and received great feedback from the audience and participants. Students from both fields engaged directly with practical scenarios that connect their education to future careers. Athletic trainers gained hands-on insight into concussion management strategies and updated themselves on current state laws and policies, while law students practiced authentic trial procedures. Dr. Fraley and I are optimistic this won’t be the last mock trial and are looking forward to future collaborations that continue to blend our disciplines in meaningful ways.”
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