There are over 120 clubs at Sonoma State University and selecting one of these many choices can be difficult, but finding a home in the Mock Trial team is an easy and fun experience.  Mock Trial is a type of speech and debate in a trial format. There are several roles to be played ranging from the attorney, witness, prosecutor, or defense. 

Mock Trial was recently founded in 2017 by Jennifer Bluestein, who is the current president of the club. Despite its young age, they have already won a major award, “Outstanding Witness”. The team consists of ten people, half on the prosecution side and half on the defense. In order to gain professional experience they also have retired and practicing attorneys come in to judge, however they do not rule. 

“ I would describe the atmosphere as confident, versatile and exhilarating,” said club Treasurer Rebecca DeMent.

Mock Trial is a part of the American Mock Trial Association, which consists of teams from all around the United States. Each team in the association receives the same case ranging from 200-300 pages. The groups have all semester to strategically plan how they want to approach the trial. They must prepare for every case scenario because they don’t know what witnesses or approach the other team is going to take. There are many things to love about being in the club.

“Being able to plan everything for the club, make sure things are always organized and always having a community of people is always exciting,” said Bluestein.

Mock Trial is a time commitment considering there is traveling on the weekends and a lot of practice. The club requires a one time fee of $50 which goes towards team merchandise, tournaments, and traveling expenses. Although there is a minor cost, joining the club is an amazing experience.

“ I love the team aspect, especially at competitions. We spend so much time preparing and growing a bond that the competitions are really fun and you always have your team’s back,” said current Vice President Erin Rose Charlton. 

The trials typically last two to three hours. There is a time limit and if that is reached both teams lose. There is no “winner” but there is a point system based on performance, memorizing, and comprehension of the rules. Working on this team will help improve several abilities.

“Being in Mock Trial will teach you incredible public speaking skills,  how to network with other teams, how to speak professionally with judges and attorneys, and give a sense of community,” said Bluestein.

Mock Trial will be holding information nights on Sept. 3 at 11:00 a.m., Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m., and Sept. 5 at 4:00 p.m. in the valley rooms on the second floor of the Student Center. Tryouts will then be help on Sept., 13 and 14 from 10am-12pm. It is recommended that students have some knowledge of law or experience with Mock Trial because it can be difficult to learn everything from scratch. 

“I would recommend this club to students because there is a position that suits everyone’s talents and it is a good niche” said DeMent. 

It is importat that people  know Mock Trial is something that can be very beneficial for students planning to attend law school and looks amazing on a resume because it is a nationally recognized program. Mock Trial is a club that will provide skills that can benefit any professional career. 

“I am now comfortable with professionally speaking under pressure, time management, prioritizing, logic and analytical reasoning,” said Charlton

Mock Trial is looking for new team members for this years trial. Head out to their information night and check out their social media accounts.

 There are countless benefits of joining Mock Trial ranging from useful life skills, professional behavior, and an overall home away from home. No matter the type of person, there is somewhere on the team they can fit.

“There’s a spot for every type of person,” said Bluestein. “Everyone has a talent that can be utilized on the team.”