When Dr. Jennifer LaPrade organized MSU’s first-ever Mock Trial team in Fall 2020, it was in the middle of the pandemic.

That season, the team competed entirely through Zoom.

Fast-forward to 2024, and the Mock Trial team is competing in person against schools like the University of Arkansas and University of Missouri.

And they’re racking up the wins.

The team has won eight team awards and 22 individual awards this season. Mock Trial president and team captain Victoria Ogbeifun, a senior chemistry and microbiology double major who plans to attend medical school, has alone garnered six of those awards for her roles as both prosecuting and defense attorneys.

The team’s record has been so impressive, they were recognized at MSU’s Feb. 16 Board of Governors meeting for their outstanding achievements.

Sights set on regionals

Coming off their recent victories, the team is preparing for the first rounds of regional competition at University of Oklahoma in Norman Feb. 23-25.

“If we are one of the top teams there, we advance to the next level. If we are not one of the top teams, our competitive season is over, so we are working hard to be one of the top teams so we can keep going,” LaPrade said.

According to the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), winning teams from each regional competition advance to one of eight Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) tournaments in March. ORCS winners will advance to the National Championship Tournament in April.

At their regional competition, MSU will compete against teams from University of Arkansas, Collin College, Hendrix College, Howard Payne University, Kansas State University, University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Nebraska, University of Oklahoma, Rhodes College and Texas Tech University.

Long hours bring rewards

LaPrade and Dr. Jordan Riddell, both assistant professors in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and graduate assistant Emily Hicks coach the current Mock Trial team. Greene County Prosecutor Elizabeth Fax has also helped coach since its first year, LaPrade said.

Devoting anywhere from 10-50 extra hours a week toward Mock Trial, LaPrade oversees recruiting, auditions, setting roles, strategies and giving feedback on each performance. She is also responsible for managing the group’s budget and competition logistics, which include annual AMTA fees, tournament registration fees, accommodation, transportation and supplies.

Meanwhile, this year’s success has made the team excited, proud and wanting more.

“It was gratifying to see my hard work, and the hard work of my team, pay off,” said Joshua Roberts, a junior criminology major who plans to study criminal law. Roberts recently won an Outstanding Prosecution Attorney award.

“Winning our first competition and getting my first individual award [for Outstanding Defense Witness] felt like all our hard work paid off, and I was really proud of what we achieved,” said Ameliya Gerlt, a freshman political science major who plans to study civil law.

“It was so rewarding to see us get to that level after putting in so much effort for so long,” said Alyssa Roney, a junior journalism major who plans to study intellectual property law. “Experiences such as that are a huge motivator to keep persevering in competitions moving forward.”

What is Mock Trial?

Mock Trial ends with the thrill of competing against colleges and universities across the country, but it begins with a lot of reading – and a lot of practice.

First, Mock Trial teams must read 200-300 pages of materials in a packet they receive at the beginning of the competitive season. LaPrade explained that the packet represents a fictionalized court case written by attorneys specifically for a given competitive season.

The teams then strategize to develop their cases and witness profiles. Students are prohibited from using any source materials other than what is in the packets, LaPrade said.

This stage of the process is a favorite for Zachary Arnold, a senior criminology/criminal justice major planning to study criminal law.

“It feels like putting the pieces of a puzzle together when deciding which pieces of evidence will help our team the most,” he said.

Practice, practice…and practice some more

After reviewing their materials and developing their cases and witnesses, the team starts practicing.

Practice sessions are not easy. Each session is designed to mimic real competitions as much as possible. At least one team member keeps time. Often, local attorneys with trial experience volunteer to serve as judges for a practice session which, like an actual competition round, lasts at least three hours.

During practice, Mock Trial attorneys dress in full professional attire, witnesses are in full costume and each team has all its materials and props, called demonstratives, in place. All rise when the practice judge enters the room. The happy energy of pre-trial preparation immediately shifts to professional seriousness once the trial begins.

The prosecution and defense each present their opening arguments. Each side then calls its witnesses and presents its closing arguments. All performances are scored and totaled. The team with the higher score wins the trial.

The process requires memorization, which many team members cited as one of the most challenging aspects of Mock Trial competitions.

“We do everything off memory and don’t read off scripts,” said Delilah Boggs, a freshman philosophy major planning to study international law. “This has made me learn to trust myself and my knowledge more.”

Real law with strategy, argument and performance

Practice is obviously an essential part of Mock Trial. But team members describe the experience as so much more.

Arnold explained what Mock Trial is by highlighting what it is not.

“It’s important to clarify that this activity isn’t debate or a form of theater,” said Arnold, who has won multiple awards for his roles as prosecution attorney and defense witness. “Mock Trial is unique in that it incorporates real laws with strategy, argumentation and performance.”

Telling a story

Arnold, who serves as vice president and team captain, also described Mock Trial as an ideal way to tell a story.

“Creating a narrative is one of the most effective ways to make a case more compelling,” he explained. “Everyone loves a good story—including me, which is why creating one is my favorite part.”

Sophomore business management and criminology/criminal justice double major Kathryn Wagner agreed.

“My favorite thing to do to prepare for a competition is create our case story,” said Wagner, who plans to study criminal law. “I love picking apart the case and choosing which witnesses to call and what story we want to tell.”

A role for everyone

Mock Trial members adopt various, and sometimes multiple, roles as part of the team.

Hannah Killion, a sophomore criminology and criminal justice major who plans to study land use and zoning law, serves as a defense closing attorney or as a prosecution witness during Mock Trial.

“I have to get my head in the mindset that I am an attorney or that I am the witness that I’m playing. I’m not Hannah the college student,” Killion said.

With the wide variety of roles available in a mock trial case, students from all majors and career tracks can find a meaningful way to contribute to the team.

“Coming into Mock Trial, I had a bit of a musical theatre background, so even though we weren’t doing any singing during competitions, I used some of the zany characters I played in reference for some of my witness roles,” Roney said.

“I think one of the main things that I bring is good expert witnesses,” said Layna Mangiapanello, a sophomore math major who plans to become a professor. “I love reading the reports and finding gaps in the conclusions and just how to word things.”

“You don’t have to be a criminology/criminal justice major or have any interest in law to do Mock Trial,” said Shelbee Reeves, a freshman nursing major who plans to work as a forensic nurse. “While I am interested in the legal aspect of Mock Trial, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay—there’s a role for everyone.”

Why Mock Trial?

Several team members said Mock Trial helps develop professional skills like public speaking, critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, mental and emotional flexibility, and confidence.

“I wish people understood that the Mock Trial team is much more than studying courtroom proceedings and etiquette,” said Kenta Otani, a junior marketing major who plans to study business law and has won an award for his role as a prosecution witness. “Mock Trial is an opportunity for students in all majors and career paths to develop valuable skills.”

“In the field of medicine, communication is imperative,” Ogbeifun said. “I have learned [through Mock Trial] how to advocate for others, especially being a defense attorney, and I have learned how important my words are when I advocate for my future patients.”

“I definitely get a lot of questions about why a math major is in Mock Trial, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Mangiapanello. “It is so applicable in terms of problem solving and public speaking that I feel like, regardless of its ‘value’ to my career, it is worth it for me.”

Team members also included professional networking, outreach and hands-on experience as reasons for joining Mock Trial.

“What set Mock Trial apart for me was its depth,” Arnold said. “I wanted to get a better understanding of my future career by meeting other pre-law students. When I found the Mock Trial team, I was immediately interested given its direct relevance to the legal field.”

“Mock Trial has allowed me the opportunity to interact with so many attorneys and others in the legal field who have so much valuable information,” Wagner said.

Life on the Mock Trial Team

Mock Trial practice sessions and tournaments are time-consuming and intense.

Several students said that, to remain completely focused on the competition, they get other homework completed beforehand as a regular part of their routine.

They also credited their coaches with helping them navigate life on the team.

“Dr. LaPrade, our coach, really values academics and encourages us to focus on our studies,” Mangiapanello said. “I really appreciate that she knows that we are students first.”

Striking that balance between hard work and knowing when to ease off is one of LaPrade’s biggest challenges with Mock Trial.

“I care about winning, of course, but I care more about the students themselves and their growth and success as people,” LaPrade said. “I always want this to be a fun, positive activity that enriches their lives.”

A “mental rollercoaster” experience

“I think Mock Trial is more of a mental rollercoaster than difficult,” Wagner said.

That “rollercoaster” experience includes handling both the unexpected and the fear of failure. The students tackle these fears with perseverance—and a little self-forgiveness.

“I quickly found that my biggest weakness was that I was terrified to mess something up,” Arnold admitted. “For me, the only way to become more confident at this was to do it, so that’s what I did.”

“Dealing with unexpected things during a trial has been tough,” Gerlt said. “Staying flexible and thinking on my feet has been a skill I needed to develop. I make sure I’m rested and alert. Mentally, I focus on staying confident and calm, picturing myself doing well.”

“The biggest challenge of being in Mock Trial is finding the balance of being at peace with how you did at a competition while also figuring out ways to do better at the next,” Roney said. “I must learn to work past the constant feeling of always letting myself or others down and, instead, how to be constructively critical of myself.”

Building life-long friendships

All the time together plus—as Arnold put it, a shared “passion to learn and succeed”—have forged a mighty bond among the team.

“The best part of being on the team is the camaraderie we have with each other,” Reeves said. “I’ve made some of my best friends this year on the Mock Trial team, and I probably wouldn’t have connected with them without this activity.”

“I was especially happy when I was accepted, since this is a program I really love, and I knew everyone in this program is committed to doing the best they can at competitions and practice,” said Boggs.

“There’s a sense of family and community. We all have a common goal,” Wagner said. “I have met my best friends in Mock Trial.”

The verdict: It’s worth it

Mock Trial requires dedication, commitment and hard work. It would be difficult to find a team member who says the effort is not worth it.

“I do it because I genuinely find it fun and interesting, and I love the people,” Mangiapanello said. “It is a big commitment, but I love it so much that it is worth it.”

“Everyone is so devoted to succeeding and really puts in a lot of work,” Roberts said. “It feels so rewarding to find success with these people because I can always look back at how much work we put into preparing.”

“I’m extremely proud of not only my accomplishments, but especially the accomplishments of my teammates,” Arnold said. “I’ve personally grown as a result of the resilience, ambition and responsibility that this team encourages.”

“One of the biggest questions that I get is ‘Why do you do Mock Trial as a pre-med student?’,” Ogbeifun said. “My answer is always because this is a rewarding organization. I’m not just talking about the awards that we win, but that is a plus. There is reward in the skills that are gained. I have never been more confident in myself.”

“I owe this all to Mock Trial.”

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Photos by Lynn Lansdown