Mock Trial

Recent Events:

Northcentral Regional Mock Trial Tournament

On February 20-22, 2009, seven UST undergraduates competed in the Upper Midwest Regional Mock Trial Tournament sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association.  The event was conducted on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Superior.  This year’s case centers on an allegation by a leading candidate for Governor of the (mythical) State of Midlands that the Blitz News Network (BNN) broadcast a libelous 3-minute news story inaccurately identifying the candidate as a murder suspect.  During the four rounds of competition, twice representing the plaintiff and twice representing the defendant, UST faced Macalester College, the University of St. John and St. Benedict, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and Hamline University.  Team members representing St. Thomas were Leigha Lattner (Dubuque, Iowa), Nicole Feltault (Minneapolis), Melissa Medearis (North St. Paul), Grace Brelje (Shoreview), Lindsay Schwab (Greenfield, Wisconsin), Jesse Sater (Anoka) and Jacqlyn Pavek (Detroit Lakes).  The team’s head coach is Nicole F. Jackson, Director of Alumni Affairs for the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

History at the University of Saint Thomas

The University of St. Thomas has been affiliated with the American Mock Trial Association since 1985.  The AMTA is a national organization of over 250 colleges and universities sponsoring nearly 500 teams that compete in invitational, regional-qualifying and national tournaments each academic year from October through April.  A college or university can begin annual competition with an unlimited number of teams.  Each team, consisting of at least six but no more than eight undergraduates, prepares and represents both the prosecution and defense in a criminal case or the plaintiff and defense in a civil case.  In 1987 UST (then the College of St. Thomas) won the national championship and placed second as national runner-up in 1989.  A St. Thomas team placed sixth nationally in 2004, also claiming numerous regional championships and individual outstanding attorney and witness awards through the years.

Mock Trial is an extra-curricular activity at St. Thomas.  Two hundred twenty-eight students have been actively involved during the past 23 years.  Participants learn trial advocacy skills as witnesses and as attorneys within the framework of the U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence.  Coaches are trial attorneys nearly all of whom competed as “Tommy Mockers” before completing law school and launching a career.  All have expressed interest in contributing their time and talent to give something back to the program which has so positively influenced their subsequent success.

Any St. Thomas undergraduate student who would like to learn more about UST Mock Trial should contact Dr. Steve Hatting, the faculty coordinator of the program who is an associate professor in  the Department of Political Science.  The fall and spring Campus Activities Fairs also serve as excellent opportunities for students to meet current leaders of the St. Thomas Pre-Law Society and to sign-up for Mock Trial.  The event is generally held early in the fall semester; check the Department’s website for this year’s event.

Further information is available at the website of American Mock Trial Association.