The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga achieved a new first during the 2015-2016 mock trial season: sending two teams to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), the second round of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA)'s annual national tournament. The competition took place in Memphis March 18-20. A single team reached nationals only once before in UTC's history.
Although neither team advanced beyond the second round, Shyloah Bisi, a senior at UTC, is proud of both lineups, which won a combined three ballots and tied for another while competing against elite opponents. "We didn't go in there and get smashed," she said. "We were competitive."
UTC's most prized ballot might be the one it won against Baylor University's mock trial team, which did advance to nationals. A team needs five ballots to move on to the next stage of the national competition.
UTC's mock trial season started last fall with 20 students splitting into Blue and Gold teams and then learning the ins and outs of a bribery case involving two defendants. The teams practiced for up to three hours two nights a week, preparing opening statements, direct examinations, and more for all three sides of the case. The teams also took part in scrimmages against UT Knoxville, Emory University, and Georgia Institute of Technology, and competed in invitationals at Middle Tennessee State University and Kennesaw State University.
As the teams approached their regional tournament, held in Jackson, Miss., in February, they started practicing three nights a week. (The regionals are the first round of the AMTA's annual national tournament.) The students then bumped that up to four nights a week after qualifying for ORCS.
Several of the students said taking part in mock trial solidified their plans to become a lawyer and helped to prepare them for the next stage of their education.
"Mock trial teaches you to think on your feet," said Bisi. "You also have to argue the law, which will put you one step ahead of the other students in law school."
While Bisi intends to become a lawyer, she's uncertain about pursuing a career in litigation. "Mock trial is easier than the real thing," she said.
Mock trial actually cemented senior Hannah Thomas' desire to become a litigator. "I wanted to see if this was something I'd like to do for a living," she says, "and now I know I would. I love evidence law."
Thomas competed in mock trial during each of her four years at UTC. A Chattanooga native, she also competed locally at the high school level. A home schooled student, she was a member of the Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Home Education Association mock trial team.
Bisi is from California. She plans to return there after graduating this spring and take a year or two off before starting law school.
Other team members derived different benefits from mock trial. Eliott Geary said it refined his rhetorical skills, improved his writing, and helped him to become a better public speaker. Christina McPeak appreciated being exposed to both civil and criminal cases. And Rachael Yager participated in mock trial simply because it's fun and challenging.
Whatever their reasons for taking part in mock trial, the students of UTC's 2015-2016 team have set a new standard to which future teams can aspire, and have given their school and their fellow students one more reason to be proud to be a Moc.