The UCCS Mock Trial Team had a record-breaking season this year, scoring a bid into the national competition for the first time ever and earning the most individual awards in the club’s history.
By performing well during a regional tournament at the El Paso County courthouse that saw UCCS competing against teams from across the country, the UCCS Mock Trial Team earned a bid to attend the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) in Los Angeles, which is a national competition sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). They also took home three individual awards at regionals, with students Vanessa Pieper and Luke Ming each receiving a “Best Attorney” award, and student Sam Loyo earning “Best Witness.” Though the team didn’t place at ORCS, it was the first time in the club’s history they earned a spot in the competition.
“Every August, the American Mock Trial Association issues the case file,” explained Dan Olson, Teaching Associate Professor in the College of Public Service’s Criminal Justice program. “It’s about 300 pages long, and every college gets the same file. We start practicing in August by studying the file, assigning roles, and working on questions. We participate in informal scrimmages, both internal and with other schools, such as the Air Force Academy and Colorado College, in the fall, and then the big tournament is the AMTA regional tournament in February.”
Olson emphasized that although the club is popular with students studying criminal justice, it is open to all majors, has many positions to participate in aside from the roles of prosecutor and defender and helps students hone a variety of skills beyond just courtroom etiquette.
“Students learn all about law, of course, particularly rules of evidence and courtroom procedures – how to craft an opening statement, how to deliver a closing argument, how to make an objection, how to respond to an objection – but they also learn about public speaking, effective arguments, critical thinking and other skills,” he said. “For example, if you’re going to apply to law school or grad school and you’ve got four years of mock trial, we have opportunities to practice leadership. I may be their faculty advisor and mentor, but it’s all student-run, and they largely assign themselves their own roles and duties and responsibilities. The club president does the budget and schedules the practices.”
The mock trial club is open to all students, and reconvenes in the fall semester in August, during which they’ll also receive their new AMTA-assigned case for the upcoming season.