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There is a significant time commitment involved with Mock Trial. In addition to the time spent in class, team members are expected to devote four to six hours per week of work during the fall, and up to ten hours per week in the early part of the spring semester. Loras competes annually in several tournaments, including the University of Iowa Cornshucker Classic and the U.C.L.A. Invitational in Los Angeles, as well as hosting the largest invitational mock trial tournament in the nation in late January.
Mock Trial is open to all Loras students. Whether you have an interest in the law, or wish to hone your acting, communication or leadership skills, you are welcome to try out for Loras Mock Trial. It is strongly recommended that you register for the one-credit course when competing on the mock trial team. For more information, contact Professor Thomas S. Collins, interim director of the Loras College Mock Trial Program.
Each year the case alternates between a civil and a criminal matter. In the typical tournament, each school will compete in four different rounds - two rounds representing the prosecution/plaintiff and two rounds representing the defense. Just as in a real trial, each side presents an opening statement, direct examinations of three witnesses, cross-examination of the opposing team’s three witnesses, and closing arguments. The cases are always held in the fictional state of Midlands, which follows a modified form of the Federal Rules of Evidence. This year’s case is criminal, involving the kidnapping of a young child, allegedly by a disgruntled employee of the company of which the child’s parent is CEO.
 Each team consists of six to eight students, six of whom can compete in a given round. Three students will serve as attorneys, and are expected to be knowledgeable about rules of evidence, proper objections (and arguments for and against objections), courtroom decorum, proper examination techniques, and basic rules of trial advocacy. The attorneys are scored on their performance in these areas, and receive a separate score for opening statements, direct examination of witnesses, cross-examination of witnesses, and closing arguments. The other three team members play the role of witnesses, and are expected to be familiar with their sworn affidavit and give credible, yet entertaining, performances. Each witness is given a separate score for performance on direct examination and on cross examination.
At the end of a round, the judges’ scores are added up, and the team with the higher number of points wins. At the end of the tournament, the team with the best record is the champion. Judges are expected to score individuals based on their performance, rather than on the merits of the case, as a team cannot help the facts they are given to argue. The judges’ ballots also includes a place to indicate the top attorneys and top witnesses for the round. At the end of the tournament, the highest scoring students in each category receive individual awards. |
