Trial Team Best Advocate Finalist Bertha Santana Receives ABOTA Scholarship in Trial Advocacy

Best Advocate Finalist at the 2017 Florida Justice Association Hon. E. Earle Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition, FIU College of Law Trial Team member Bertha Santana recently received a scholarship in trial advocacy from the Miami Chapter of ABOTA – the American Board of Trial Advocates. ABOTA aims to educate and train trial lawyers, preserve our jury system, and elevate the standard of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession. Awarded in the amount of $1,000 at a dinner held on May 24, 2018, Ms. Santana’s scholarship is given by ABOTA each year to  the FIU law student who best exemplifies the artand civility of the great trial lawyer. Said FIU Law Trial Advocacy Program Director, Professor H.T. Smith, and program Assistant Director, Professor H. Scott Fingerhut, of Bertha, “Ms. Santana personifies Passionate Principled Advocacy, which is the hallmark of our Trial Advocacy Program at FIU Law.  Bertha possesses a keen intellect, a strong work ethic, a positive, team-working spirit, and impeccable integrity.  Indeed, throughout her coursework in our program, and her performance on our champion Trial Team, Bertha’s rise to the top has been clear.  Hers is a trajectory to become an outstanding trial lawyer.  And importantly, she is as good a person to boot, someone who will do well and do good.” Bertha graduated from the College of Law just this past week and is now off to study for the Florida Bar examination.