Category: Firm News

High School Students Learning to Love the Law with Mock Trials

We’re honored to coach students who participate in the Arizona High School Mock Trial program. Teams of students receive a fictional case for which they must learn both sides of the case, and students must act as both attorneys and witnesses. Along with their coaches, each student learns the facts of the case and collaborates with their classmates and coaches to create strategies for trial.

Scott Cohen served as Volunteer Attorney Coach to this group of exceptional youths from BASIS High School in Chandler.

In addition to the procedural aspects of the mock trial, there is a competition for courtroom artists. For seven of the last eight years, a BASIS has won this competition. A special congratulations go to BASIS student artist Keshav Jha, who won the Arizona state courtroom artist contest this year!

It is a privilege to help students develop an understanding and love for the practice of law through the Arizona High School Mock Trial program. We’re especially thrilled to learn that former Mock Trial student Rahul Jayaraman, who helped start the program at BASIS in 2015, will be attending Harvard Law School in the fall.

Well done, students. We’re already excited to see the teams come together next year!

24 years went by in a flash… Engelman Berger celebrates by giving back.

When thinking about the practice of law, it’s easy to forget that law firms are businesses, just like any other. Our firm happens to be in the business of helping other businesses. Businesses are about people, and we are so grateful for the incredible people who make up our firm’s hard-working staff, our clients who trust us to solve all manner of problems, and our colleagues in the practice of law. 

On March 1, 2023, Engelman Berger, PC celebrated its 24th anniversary.  Our team of administrators, support staff, and attorneys know that their contributions make a difference, not only in the legal community but more importantly in the greater Phoenix community as well. That is why each year we celebrate our anniversary with a day of community service.

This year we volunteered at HonorHealth Desert Mission in Sunnyslope. Its mission is to make health and social services available to the most vulnerable in the Phoenix community. Our community service activities extended beyond the actual volunteer day by including an office food drive and financial contributions throughout the month leading up to the firm’s 24th anniversary.  

When David Engelman and Steven Berger started the firm in 1999, it was with two legal secretaries and a mission to be lawyers who listen. Listening to the needs of those we serve, and responding to those needs with action, has been a foundational principle that has allowed us to effectively and efficiently help our clients reach their goals. As our clients’ businesses have grown and expanded, we have too. 

We are now a firm of over 15 lawyers who practice in a variety of specialties, including commercial litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, water rights, business formation and reformation, public finance, and cannabis law. As we’ve grown, we continue to come back to those founding principles of listening and service. We are so excited to celebrate this anniversary and are looking forward to an even bigger milestone next year!