Mock trial offers rewarding experience

By Ellen Kim     2/25/10 6:00pm

Rice University has a mock trial team, but not very many people know it exists. I've only been in the club for a semester, and I'm already used to the incredulous "Is that a club here?" As much as their reactions dishearten me at times, I can't blame these students.The Rice Mock Trial Team disbanded last year and was restarted last semester by a group of freshmen and sophomores, including myself. We were busy, to say the least. As we struggled to rebuild the team and learn the course material, all the while honing confidence and skill, we admittedly found ourselves more concerned with making it to the regionals unscathed than with promoting the club on campus.

From Feb. 5-7, the team competed in the American Mock Trial Association Tournament at Houston Baptist University. The tournament was stressful and time-intensive, but ultimately a blast. We didn't make it to nationals, unfortunately, but that didn't dampen our spirits terribly, as we could tell we had improved. In about one month's worth of practices, which ranged from three to eight hours at a time, we had progressed from having no knowledge of how a trial was conducted to actually being able to stand our ground in "court." At the risk of sounding corny, we were winners at heart.

My enthusiasm for the club was reinvigorated after this competition, and I wanted all of Rice to know about what we do and clear up some of the misconceptions. Basically, mock trial is exactly what it sounds like: It's a fake trial. Though the trial process can sound pretty confusing at first, you fall into a sort of rhythm after a few run-throughs: Prosecution. Direct. Cross-examination. Re-direct. Re-cross. Defense. Direct again, and so forth.

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One would think the case would get boring after a single round; I discovered it's actually quite the opposite. Each trial is unique. We never know what the other side is going to say or present. They may use different witnesses, offer different alibis and object on different grounds. Then, of course, there are the judges. No matter how much we practice, we can never be sure how they will react to our arguments.

These elements of surprise make a large part of the trial impromptu. Mock trial taught me that even though what you know may be scripted, its application is completely up to you. As restricted as the circumstances may initially appear, there is always room for creativity, wittiness and personality.

In addition, mock trial is not exclusively for pre-law students. People seem to assume that a future in trial law is required for entry on the team. To be sure, the things you learn can be very useful in law school, but the team needs people with varying talents.

For one, acting is incredibly important. Whether you are a witness or an attorney, you need to be dynamic, energetic, maybe even eccentric or flirtatious. As you can see from its structure and proceedings alone, the team relies on people who are not only bright but malleable as well.

Now, I admit that the majority of the team is pre-law. Yet some members of the team last semester joined the club simply to see what it was like, get a feel for the material, and perhaps to learn about themselves in the process. Whether pre-law or not, everyone was satisfied after the tournament. We appreciated how difficult it was to depend on one another so heavily, covering for others' weaknesses while accentuating our strengths. But at the same time, we felt strong as a team. I think everyone was able to derive an important skill from the club and benefit from the team spirit.

Although I was uncertain about mock trial at first, the experience has pushed me past my limits and allowed me to enhance my abilities as both a speaker and a listener. After overcoming my initial reservations, I realized that sometimes things are more than what they appear to be. Everyone should consider clubs and groups that are beyond their conventional zones and not be afraid to explore and try new things. Perhaps you'll find that they're closer to your interests than you think.

Ellen Kim is a Sid Richardson College freshman.

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