Cal Poly Mock Trial
Interested in law? Thinking about law school? Looking to be a part of a fun extracurricular activity? Every year, 600 teams of college students travel from across America to argue a fictitious legal case in front of real judges as part of College Mock Trial. Students from all majors can participate as either attorneys or witnesses in a unique opportunity to learn how to prepare and present a court case. Our teams travel all over California and beyond to compete during Fall and Winter quarters. Fall quarter is perfect for those wanting to first try Mock Trial as it is a casual invitational tournament season. Winter quarter is a competitive tournament season divided into three escalating tournaments: Regionals, Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), and Nationals. Cal Poly first started sending teams to regional Mock Trial competitions during the 2006-07 academic year. In both 2017 and 2022, our A-team earned a spot to compete at the national tournament.
Opportunities to Participate
Club Teams
Mock Trial is a team-based activity! To first be placed onto a team, students must go through our tryouts Fall quarter. These are semi-formal, and anyone who completes the tryout process can join. Students will then be placed onto teams with a mix of new and experienced members and compete against other programs at tournaments and scrimmages. Teams are then competitively restacked for Winter quarter, which requires participation during Fall quarter. Teams bond closely throughout the season, leading to a close-knit and passionate community that is open to anyone! For more information, email cpmocktrial@gmail.com
Mock Trial Class
Additionally, Cal Poly offers a two-quarter sequence of classes designed to help teams prepare for competitions: POLS 295 (Fall) and POLS 395 (Winter). These are optional for-credit classes and are not required for participation on the club teams. But these classes are a great way to prepare for competitions while putting Mock Trial into the broader context of the American legal system. Feel free to Email Todd Porter, Mock Trial professor and advisor, for more information about the class.
Who We Are
Contact
Mock Trial Club: cpmocktrial@gmail.com
Mock Trial Advisor: Todd Porter
Sponsor Mock Trial
Support Cal Poly Mock Trial by making a gift online today!