Something we get asked a lot is, "What exactly is mock trial and what do you do at competitions?"
Simply put, Mock Trial is a competitive activity to see who can put on a better fake trial and state their case in the best possible way.
Every year, the American Mock Trial Association writes a fictional criminal or civil legal case full of witness statements and exhibits. We analyze the facts, and create the strongest prosecution/plaintiff or defense case theory.
We learn the Rules of Evidence, case law and objections to defend that case theory at trial. Then, during trial, we act as witnesses and attorneys to present our case against another team.
Our competitions take us all over the country, and our team often gets told by real attorney judges that we perform better than attorneys they've seen in an actual courtroom.
Whether or not you want to go into law school, Mock Trial is a great way to become confident in your public speaking skills, hone your writing ability, or learn how to craft an argument. So, it's no surprise that Mock Trial looks great on our resume!
If Mock Trial sounds like the RSO for you, please contact our Recruitment and Retention Chair, Lauren Martin at mtrecruitment@unl.edu or our President, Cassidy June at mtpresident@unl.edu.
You can also find us at Big Red Welcome events or at the Informational Meetings we hold each fall semester.