The NSU Mock Trial Team in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), participated in the Regional Mock Trial Competition held recently in Orlando. Mock Trial asks students to assume the roles of witnesses and attorneys, asking them to learn a long and complicated fact pattern that contains depositions, affidavits, rules of evidence, case law, etc. The students began working on this in the fall, culminating with the tournament in February.
Teams are judged on variety of things based on role. Attorneys are judged on the quality of their opening and closing statements and how well they direct and cross examine the witnesses. The witnessed are also judged on how well they know their part and respond to the questions asked of them. Both attorneys and witnesses acquire points at each trial as they compete.
At the tournament NSU faced teams from the University of South Carolina, Emory University, Stetson University and what was called a Bye-Buster. The latter involves a team that was made up of students from different schools. For most of the team it was their first time engaging in this competition and they carried themselves very well, with one member, Lauren Garcia, winning an award for best witness.
Mock Trial is a yearly competition that enables all students (no matter their major) to work on speaking skills, critical thinking, working as a team, and maybe most importantly having FUN. Members are already excited about next year’s team and competitions. For more information, please contact Gary Gershman, J.D., Ph.D., faculty advisor via email (ggershma@nova.edu).