Maryland Mock Trial is a nationally ranked program that competes in intercollegiate tournaments around the country. Undergraduate students from any major and in any year of their studies, including incoming freshmen, are eligible to join the Maryland Mock Trial Program. After joining the program, students are eligible to enroll in co-curricular courses offered by the Department of Government & Politics.

As one of the largest programs in the nation, Maryland Mock Trial strives to support students of varying skill and experience levels. Coached by law professors and practicing attorneys, many of whom are former Maryland mockers, students who join the Maryland Mock Trial Program develop skills that are useful in any profession, not just future legal careers. Students will learn to communicate with confidence, think on their feet, argue persuasively, and become compelling storytellers.

Each fall, our program fields 5 to 6 teams of seven to ten students who play the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictional court case. In the fall, most teams attend invitational tournaments hosted by colleges and universities around the nation. In the spring, teams compete in the American Mock Trial Association's (AMTA) Regional and Opening Round Championship (ORCS) tournaments to qualify for the National Championship Tournament.

Maryland Mock Trial has won five AMTA national championships, which is more than any other school in the country. Because our goal is to compete at the highest level and win our sixth national championship, it is important to know that being a member of the program is a substantial time commitment (one that rivals being on a Maryland athletic team). Participation requires the attendance of meetings, practices, and competitions that are held outside of the scheduled class times, including most weekends during the semester. Though the time commitment may be daunting, many students find mock trial to be the most rewarding experience they have at Maryland.

Don’t know anything about mock trial? Don’t worry. If you're willing to put in the work to learn the ropes, we’ll provide you all the resources you need to succeed. Every year, we have students join the program with little to no mock trial experience who become award-winning attorneys and witnesses.

Want more information? Check out our website at marylandmocktrial.com and read the FAQs at marylandmocktrial.com/join.

Interested in becoming a member of Maryland Mock Trial in the upcoming 2022-2023 season? Submit your interest by filling out the form at ter.ps/JoinUMDMock and by emailing the program director, William Zachariah Mundy, at mocktrial [at] umd.edu to confirm your submission. 

 

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