There is no debating that the Rhodes College mock trial team is one of the best of its kind in the country.

The team holds the record for most consecutive Final 48 (that’s mock trial’s equivalent to the Final Four) appearances at 23 straight years.

At the helm of this team for exactly that many years is political science professor Dr. Marcus Pohlmann.

Originally from Davenport, Iowa, Pohlmann did his undergraduate work at Cornell College and graduate work at Columbia University. Having spent more than two decades at Rhodes, though, he considers himself a Memphian and, as a political scientist, appreciates the political show here and its accessibility.

“I know Willie Herenton, I know A C Wharton, I run into them at restaurants,” Pohlmann said. “You can’t say that in every city, that you can have that kind of access to the players.” … (read more)