This page created by: Marissa Cocciolone.
This page is dedicated to the AMTA Mock Trial Team here at W&J. It describes what mock trial is, does, and how one can participate in it. Readers will gain an understanding of the purpose and advantages offered by the mock trial team, as well as be invited to participate regardless of major or experience.
W&J's Mock Trial Team: Faking it Since 2005
Interested in law? Good at acting? Just looking to meet new people? Washington & Jefferson's Mock Trial team has something for everybody. Whether you're looking to build a great foundation for law school or hone your skills in communication and public speaking, the Mock Trial team is a great way to get involved at W&J. Our team welcomes everyone from National Champions in the High School Division to rookies who just want to learn.
Wait - so what is "Mock Trial?"
Glad you asked! Mock Trial is run by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), a membership-based association that releases fictional civil and criminal cases online to be tried by college teams.
About cases:
- These cases include everything from affidavits of witnesses to exhibits and case law. Students can either try the case as a lawyer or portray one of the witnesses.
- Schools register with the AMTA and begin to study the case when it is released in late summer. The cases are constructed so as not to favor the plaintiff or defendant; each team has to try both sides.
- Teams develop arguments and put together strategies for preliminary competitions in the fall and eventually work towards regional competition in the spring.
- Mock Trials are presided over by judging panels of law students, seasoned lawyers, and sometimes judges, all of whom give advice once the trial is over. It's great insight into how our legal system works.
Don't be intimidated. People who participate in mock trial (or mock trialetes as we call them) need not be legal-minded professionals -- our team is comprised of people interested in debate. In fact, here are a few facts about our current team...
About us:
- W&J's AMTA Mock Trial team has members of all graduating classes who represent almost every major.
- Many of our members have prior experience in Mock Trial from high school. In fact, two incoming freshmen were members of the National Champion team for the high school division in 2008.
- Because we petition for funding from the Student Government Association, we do not need to charge our members dues fees like most other schools.
- For competition, we divide into two teams -- Juncta and Juvant (corresponding to our school's motto) -- who compete separately.
- Our team advisors include Dr. Beth Bennett and Mr. Sam Gidas from the W&J faculty and Jim McCune, esq., one of the most prominent lawyers in Washington County.
Making Our Way in the AMTA
Our Recent Accomplishments in the American Mock Trial Association
Founded in 2005, Washington & Jefferson's Mock Trial Team has worked through the ranks to become a nationally-recognized force. Already this fall we have competed in two AMTA tournaments at Penn State and Case Western.
The Happy Valley Invitational at Penn State marked the team's first tournament of the year. The team departed W&J Friday afternoon and traveled to University Park with high spirits in a caravan of members. By the time we arrived that evening, we were excited and ready for competition. This year's case was a civil one: a fictional celebrity-turned-politician filed suit against a news network for publishing libelious claims that s/he had shot a man. Teams had to argue this case twice from both sides. Saturday and Sunday both had two trial times, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Trials were judged by seasoned lawyers, judges, and law students from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. After every trial, the judges gave participants valuable insight gained from their personal experiences in law as well as advice for students' future careers. Participants included such competitors as Georgetown and Yale, providing a wealth of insight and experience to the team. In between trials, the Mock Trial team was able to enjoy the beautiful fall weather as it toured Penn State's vast campus. It provided a nice break between rigorous competition. W&J went up to bat against such veteran adversaries as Drexel University, Case Western, and Mt. Union. While these teams had years of experience, we certainly held our own. Freshman Shane Rumbaugh wowed the judges and took home the coveted Best Advocate for the Defense Award. We returned to W&J Sunday night with knowledge under our belts and helpful advice for the future. Overall, everyone learned a lot and had a good time doing it.
From the Ground Up
Junior Trish Ritenour details our journey as a team
Based on an interview conducted by Marissa Cocciolone on 11/25/08.
When I first joined Mock Trial, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I was simply following a recommendation of Dr. Disarro because I was pursuing a course of study in pre-law. I remember when I got to the first meeting, I noticed a lot of people, most of them seniors, who I did not know. Everybody had case materials and seemed like they knew what they were doing, so I felt like I was out of the loop. I was just a freshman -- what did I know? This was only an initial impression though. I soon found that everyone was willing to help and teach people like me, people who were rookies. The outsider feeling dissipated pretty quickly - I caught on fast and soon knew my way around the case. After a few meetings I started to feel at home. I got pretty comfortable and became friends with my fellow teammates, some of whom are still on the team today.
When I was a freshman, the Mock Trial team had only been in existence for a little over a year. Understandably, we were a little less experienced than most other teams. I remember we had the talent, but we were not ready for serious competition. At least I didn't feel like I was.
Nonetheless, that fall I found myself on the campus of Carnegie Mellon, preparing to scrimmage the university's mock trial team. We had practiced, but still felt nervous. Some of us had no prior trial experience. I remember we all sat around in the ski lodge, waiting to depart for CMU. At one point one of the members, Dave, brought out his laptop and we watched a few minutes of South Park together to lighten the mood. It worked -- we laughed as a team, which got us to loosen up and remember that we could do this. We didn't win that day, but we felt good as a team. Overall it was a great learning experience.
I was sad to see the seniors leave at the end of my first year. All the officers were seniors, so we knew we had to face the problem of filling four positions with fairly inexperienced leaders. However, people stepped up to the occasion. A few of my fellow teammates encouraged me to run for treasurer, so I said "why not?" The team backed me up and I've been treasurer ever since. It's been a great experience: I've learned a lot about the law, how to actually work on a case, and probably more about courtroom proceedings than some law students know. It's valuable knowledge -- stuff you can't get in the classroom. I'd highly encourage anyone to join.
Party like a Mock Star
Join our team! Here are three good reasons to sign up today
So you want to go to law school -- what better preparation is there than actually trying cases? However, this is only the beginning of our advantages for pre-law students. Mock Trialetes have a chance to make a vast array of connections from universities across the country. You'll meet law students, lawyers, judges, and even panelists on the admissions board of certain law schools. The opportunities are endless.
You're not interested in law
So you don't want to go to law school -- we still have plenty to offer. You'll have the opportunity to travel to different universities, meet lots of new people, and learn outside the classroom. Mock Trial offers a wealth of experience in public speaking and critical thinking. Even students who are not pre-law enjoy sharpening their skills in communication and logical reasoning in a creative way.
Join the Mock Trial family
Few other clubs on campus offer the same friendly environment as the Mock Trial Team. Comprised of under 20 people, we have the opportunity to work closely together and build strong bonds between members. While we do get down to business, there is a fun aspect to working with your friends on a nearly day-to-day basis. Says Trish, "it's something that you can really get into, and actually forget you're doing work."
You're in? Good!
To become a part of the team, you can either look for sign ups at the beginning of fall semester, visit our booth at the activities fair, or simply email the group at mocktrial@washjeff.edu or President Mike Rush: rushml@washjeff.edu for meeting times and dates. It's never too late to join!
Helpful Links
Current Mock Trial Activity Wiki
Official AMTA Website
Mock Trial Made Easy
W&J Mock Trial Team
