Media Contact
Amanda Head
Manager, Marketing and Public Relations
College of Arts & Sciences
[email protected]
The Georgia State undergraduate Mock Trial team beat teams from universities like Stanford, Northwestern, and University of Arizona at the National Tournament held in Minnesota last year.
The team has received an invitation to a competition at Yale this coming December.
Mock Trial is not only offered as a 3-credit hour class, but it is also an organization. Any student who would like to be a member of Mock Trial does not have to be registered for the class. The team is open to students of all disciplines.
The Mock Trial team’s purpose is to stimulate and encourage an understanding of the legal system. Students are able to gain hands-on experience. They learn effective communication skills and gain confidence that can be applied to many other fields of study besides just law.
Taylah Cash, Mock Trial president, says “I’ve learned to think on my feet, how to speak professionally, how to quickly analyze everything, and how to work together as a team. I think Mock Trial is special because these are skills we put into practice.”
Each year, the students conduct trials based on a hypothetical case provided by the American Mock Trial Association. The students are provided with all the case materials and must develop their own theories and strategies. Students will fill the roles of attorney and witness. Each team includes the prosecution side, the defense side, and the witnesses. Competitions are judged by real attorneys and judges.
Kayla Forte, Mock Trial member, says “my favorite thing about participating in Mock Trial is getting to act as an attorney. Since this is what I want to be in the future, it is such great practice.”