A man dies on a train. His two daughters are set to inherit his considerable fortune, but one daughter stands to gain much more. And so, the fight over their father’s will begins.
This was the case given to undergraduate mock trial teams across the country this academic year, including two teams from Mercer University. Each team comprises 10 students, who play attorneys and witnesses during the case.
Students must be intelligent, quick-thinking and have excellent public speaking skills to wow the judges as they argue their case during competition. Teams compete in four, three-hour rounds over the course of two days.
“Students have to be prepared to switch sides from plaintiff to defense. They have to be prepared to cross whatever witnesses the other team decides to call,” said Dr. Lori Johnson, faculty advisor and professor of political science at Mercer. “One of the key strategic factors is which of the available witnesses you’re going to call and how you’re going to use them and what you’re going to do with them if the other side calls them. There’s just a lot that goes into it that’s in-the-moment strategic thinking and planning.”
The Mercer mock trial “A” and “B” teams competed in three invitationals in fall 2023 and received honors at each of them.
- At the Capital City Invitational at Florida State University in October, the A team finished in fifth place, and Betsy Timmons, a sophomore majoring in neuroscience, received an individual award.
- At the Owl Classic at Kennesaw State University in October, the A team finished in third place, and the B team received an honorable mention. Six students received individual awards: Jillian Burke, a sophomore double-majoring in law and public policy and French; Hope Emanuel, a sophomore double-majoring in law and public policy and criminal justice; Manasi Giridharan, a senior double-majoring in psychology and criminal justice; Rasaq Olowoeshin, a freshman majoring in criminal justice; Emma Page, a senior double-majoring in political science and English; and Timmons.
- At the Downtown Derby Invitational at Georgia State University in November, the B team received an honorable mention. Four students received individual awards: Giridharan, Olowoeshin, Page and Timmons.
This was the first year a Mercer mock trial team has placed at an invitational, not counting individual awards, Dr. Johnson said. The team’s work is especially impressive considering the competition includes much larger schools, including the University of Alabama and Auburn University, which took first place at the Capital City Invitational and Owl Classic, respectively.
“The schools that we’re going against are so big, and a lot of them have four teams; they have multiple coaches on their team; they have donors,” said Page, president of mock trial at Mercer. “I’m really proud of the progress that we’ve made without having a lot of these outside contributing factors.”
She said students lead Mercer’s mock trial team. While Dr. Johnson is the team’s faculty advisor, it doesn’t have a coach. Student leaders spend about eight hours per week preparing, and the other participants spend at least six hours per week at practice.
Page, a pre-law student, joined her sophomore year after being invited by the team’s president at the time. She started as a witness and now serves as the attorney who gives the opening statement.
She said participating in mock trial competitions has given her professional opportunities as well as confidence.
“I was offered an internship at a competition. I have so many phone numbers in my phone of directors of advocacy at different law schools. You meet so many great people just by being part of the team,” she said. “I used to be so scared to talk in front of people or talk to pretty much anyone, and mock trial has given me so much more confidence just to speak and feel self-assured.”
Junior Kasey Hoyt, vice president of mock trial at Mercer, also joined the team during her sophomore year. The team needed another witness, and a friend asked her to participate.
“I’ve always been a theater kid at heart, and I’m a really competitive person,” said Hoyt, a pre-law student triple-majoring in political science, theater and journalism. “I joined the team, and within two weeks I was competing, and I won a trophy for an individual witness award at my competition, and so, from that point on, I was hooked.”
She said she loves that she can combine her love for theater and law and bring her performance knowledge to the team. Her participation also has earned her an internship with a criminal defense attorney.
“It’s really helped me in that aspect, especially professionally and building my resume,” Hoyt said.
Students don’t have to be pre-law to join the mock trial team. There are many valuable aspects of participating that apply to students in any field, Dr. Johnson said.
“Probably the most valuable is thinking on your feet and performing orally. Being an effective oral communicator is going to be a skill you need. It does not matter what job you’re in,” she said. “You are competing, and there’s some pressure that comes with that, but you get more confidence.”
The Mercer mock trial teams will compete in the American Mock Trial Association regional tournament at Emory University in February. Over 700 teams from 400 colleges are expected to participate in regional tournaments held across the country. The top teams from each regional competition will be invited to participate in the Opening Round Championship Series in March.
“Mock trial is more than just a club, especially to the people within mock trial,” Hoyt said. “We truly are a competitive team, and we’re competing with some of the best schools in the country.”
