Washburn
University
Henderson Learning Center
Room 215
Topeka KS 66621
785-670-1737
Department
Chair
Dr. Mark
Peterson
Mock Trial At Washburn
Mock trial is an activity for undergraduates who are pretty sure they would like to attend law school. Law schools recognize the value of mock trial experience in their admissions decisions. Law schools generally look for a high LSAT score, good grades, a broad and difficult curriculum, and a good resume of outside activities and they are impressed with mock trial in the latter category.
At Washburn, mock trial is a 3 credit, lower division course in the fall semester and a 3 credit upper division course in the spring semester. It is presumed that the student will enroll in BOTH semesters of mock trial. That is because, we will train you to participate and compete in mock trials during the fall semester, but the regional and national tournaments are in the spring. The short term goal for mock trial is to place high enough in the regional tournament, (top 4 out of 26) in order to get a bid to compete in the national tournament. Only once in the last decade has Washburn not received a bid to nationals and we have averaged 7th place at the national tournament over that period of time (ranging from 3rd place to 10th). The national mock trial organization does not discriminate between large and small schools so Washburn competes against K.U. (the only other college in Kansas that competes in mock trial), Missouri, UMKC, Nebraska, Iowa St., Creighton, St Louis University, etc.
The reason that law schools are impressed with mock trial as an activity is because of the skills you will acquire and sharpen as a “mocker.” You will learn how to put on a case: you will master the facts of the year’s case; present an opening statement; conduct a direct examination of a witness; cross examine a witness; and present a closing argument. You will master the court’s procedural rules, and you will learn most of the federal rules of evidence. You will get to a point where you can make or defend against an objection to the introduction of evidence and present a reasoned, cogent argument to the judge regarding why you should prevail on the objection.
The skills you will acquire that law schools value are: analytical reasoning; oral communication; organizational, multi-tasking skills; the ability to think on your feet; research skills, including minimal legal research; and you will learn how to get along with others, including compromise as a member of a close-knit team of 6-8. You will also acquire time-management skills as mock trial will demand a good portion of your out of class time, not just mastering the material referred to above, but also traveling. We begin traveling to invitational tournaments in about mid-October and compete approximately every two weeks.
The students say of mock trial, “it is the toughest course you will ever love.”
Contact:| Dr. Sarah Ubel Department of Communications Washburn University Topeka, KS. 66621 785-670-2235 sarah.ubel@washburn.edu |
Dr. Steve Cann Department of Political Science Washburn University Topeka, KS 66621 785-670-2027 steve.cann@washburn.edu |