Burke Christensen Email Address

Professor

Eastern Kentucky University offers a nationally recognized Mock Trial program. Coached by Thomas Parker, Lynnette Noblitt and Kristeena Johnson. EKU teams compete successfully against students from the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. Under the jurisdiction of the American Mock Trial Association undergraduate students are presented with an opportunity to learn first hand about the work of trial attorneys, to understand the judicial system, to develop critical thinking ability, and to enhance communication skills. In teams of 6 to 10 competitors, students prepare a criminal or civil case using materials provided by the national association and play the roles of witnesses and attorneys. Josh Lang, a captain for the EKU Mock Trial team, describes the realistic role of an attorney within a mock trial competition. "An attorney will make legal arguments, objections arguments, before the judge and jury that will call and examine the witnesses and cross examine the other team's witnesses." Witnesses are equally important to the team success by telling the story. "Witnesses are given witness statements or reports and depositions and their role is to take on the persona of this witness and present the facts as known to the witnesses." Laura Jackson, a freshman member of the EKU Mock Trial team, joined the team to prepare herself for the future. "I heard that it would give me great experience because I'm a pre-law student as a freshman and I think it will give me a lot of experience for law school and in my career afterwards." Students interested are not limited to careers in law but pursue majors across disciplines campus wide such as psychology, education, and foreign language. The highly competitive team requires students to undergo an audition and then enroll for class credit according to New York Attorney, now Department of Government Chair, Lynette Noblitt. "You both enroll in POL 466, the course associated with mock trial and then you also sign a syllabus contract, agreeing to travel with the team. It's a two-semester commitment you sign up for both fall and spring." EKU's Mock Trial team will continue their season by competing at The Spartan Throwdown in Cleveland in late October.

Burke A. Christensen, JD, CLU is the holder of the Robert B. Morgan Chair of Insurance at EKU teaching business law, risk management and insurance. In 2006, he retired as COO and GC of Concert Health Plan Insurance Company. Previously he served as GC & VP of Operations to Quotesmith.com. He was general counsel of the Society for Financial Services Professionals and an attorney with the Northwestern Mutual Life. He has held NASD series 6 and 63 securities licenses and life & health insurance licenses in all 51 US jurisdictions. Mr. Christensen has been a guest lecturer in insurance law at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He has spoken on law, regulation and ethics topics at insurance industry and bar association meetings throughout the United States. In 2010, he was appointed to the Fiduciary Task Force which was charged with the responsibility of producing a position paper for the Society of Financial Services Professionals on proposed fiduciary standards for investment advisors and brokers. Books: McGill’s Life Insurance (1994); The Best of Strictly Speaking (1995); Legal Aspects of Life Insurance (1996); Essentials of Life Insurance Products (2004); Editor of The Insurance Counselor published by the American Bar Association between 1990 and 1997. Columns 1.“Law & Life Insurance” published monthly in Trusts & Estates magazine from 1977 – 1995. This column covered such topics as insurance products, taxation, law and regulation. 2. “Strictly Speaking” published bi-monthly in the Journal of the American Society of CLU & ChFC from 1984 – 1995. This column focused on insurance law and professional ethics. Selected Articles 1.“Agent or Broker Liability to the Insured,” Journal of the American Society of CLU & ChFC, September 1990. 2.“Insurance Agent or Broker Liability to the Insured Updated,” Journal of Insurance Regulation, Spring 1992, Vol. 10, No 3. Specialties: Life and Health insurance attorney, professor and expert witness on such topics as bad faith, policy language, post-claim underwriting, unfair claims settlement practices, agent liability, market conduct compliance, product performance, life insurance sales illustrations.