Interviewing our New Assistant Coach: Corey Debelak

We're happy to announce that Corey Debelak, a law student here at CWRU, will be joining us as one of our two new assistant coaches for the 2017-2018 season! Stay tuned for the reveal of other new assistant coach next week! To celebrate Corey joining the family, we asked her a few questions. Read the full interview below:

What do you do here at Case Western?
Corey: I am half-way through the JD/MBA program.

Where did you go for undergrad?
Corey: I went to Ohio State.

What is your favorite thing about mock trial?
Corey: I love being on a team working toward a common goal. I also enjoy the analytical process of dissecting a case to determine the opposing side’s weak points.

What roles did you mostly do when you were competing?
Corey: I have played a range of roles, but I tended to specialize as expert witnesses.

What are you most excited about for this upcoming season?
Corey: I am really excited to get back to the format and style of undergrad Mock Trial. There is an exciting challenge to making the most of a closed-universe problem.

How would you describe your coaching style?
Corey: I see myself more as a guide than a dictator; I feel that competitors should be making their parts their own, rather than being handed “the strategy” or “the answer”. One of the most exciting parts of Mock Trial is the flexibility inherent in the competition structure. Competitors should be able to use that flexibility to make their parts their own.

What are some of your long-term career aspirations?
Corey: That depends entirely on how long-term and how realistic my aspirations. I am interested in business law, and I can see myself fitting in well in an in-house council position. I’ve always found something very appealing in judgeships, though, so if someone wanted to make me a federal judge, I wouldn’t turn it down (hint, hint, Mr. Senator)!

Rapid Fire Section:

Ponytails or buns?
Corey: Buns!

Describe your style as a mocker in three adjectives.
Corey: Meticulous, Cerebral, Vicious.

Pencil skirts or suit pants?
Corey: Pencil skirts.