As a freshman, Ann Wyatt Little learned of a grass-roots Mock Trial team in the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department. After competing on her high school’s Mock Trial team, Little applied to SMU’s team – not expecting a position as a freshman. To her surprise, she was quickly competing as an attorney.
Almost three years later Little is now president of Mock Trial. She and the rest of the team have exceeded all expectations that the Mock Trial community held. In two years this team has racked up awards defeating prestigious schools such as Columbia University, Brown University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
This weekend SMU’s Mock Trial team will have the opportunity to show off its southern hospitality as it hosts 25 teams at the second annual Great Southern Regional tournament. Teams from 15 different universities will be arriving in Dallas to compete for seven available bids for advances to the national tournament. After competing for 13 rounds in the Frank Crowley Courts Building, the teams will be ranked by approximately 150 judges.
Boxes of brand-new, shiny wrapped trophies sit in the CCPA office waiting to be unwrapped. On Sunday trophies will be presented to the seven teams advancing to nationals and to 24 individuals for personal achievement during the tournament. However, for these teams the awards are more than trophies. “To these competitors it means a ticket out of town to the next competition,” says Little.
Last year SMU organized the first Great Southern Regional here in Dallas. As a host of the tournament, SMU’s Mock Trial team is responsible for arranging a venue for the event as well as recruiting attorneys to judge the rounds. After the Great Southern Regional last year, SMU advanced to the national tournament where it tied with Harvard University for third place.
“That gracious southern spirit manifests itself in the competition and their respect for the legal adversaries” sets the team apart, according to SMU Mock Trial advisor Dr. Rita Kirk. Not only has the team performed well in competitions, but it has received awards for individual performance as well as team spirit.
Already ranking among the nation’s elite, this team has a lot to brag about. However, Brett Kohlhofer, vice president of finance, thinks that Mock Trial is “something SMU should support more than it does.” This year marks the first time that SMU’s Mock Trial team has been recognized as a chartered organization on campus, making the team eligible for Student Senate funding.
As a member of the American Mock Trial Association, SMU’s team seeks “to educate the youth of America about our legal system, our jurisprudence and the work of our attorneys,” according to the preamble of the association. Kohlhofer says he joined the team because he eventually wants to go to law school. However, he feels that participating in Mock Trial is more than a way to reach a law degree; it is a way to develop analytical and speech presentation skills, a necessity in any profession.
Under American Mock Trial Association guidelines, each year a new case is created for teams to recreate during competitions. Alternating each year between civil and criminal, this year’s civil case is Jefferies v. Polk County Police Department. During each round at a tournament, one team will be selected as the defendant and another as the plaintiff. During the trial each side will call three witnesses, members of their own team who have prepared to act as described in the case. At the conclusion of the trial the teams are judged by attorneys who critique the teams based on the presentation and coherence of the delivery.
The basis for determining which students play which roles is experience. SMU Mock Trial gave four teams a chance to show their assets at a Baylor University competition. Based on the results from this event the team’s coach, Kelly Reddell, narrowed the students down to two teams. According to Little, you can really see who becomes devoted to Mock Trial because they are the ones that are willing to put enjoyable activities behind Mock Trial.
Since its founding in 2004, SMU’s Mock Trial team has exceeded expectations.
“We’ve all worked at making this what it is today,” says Little. The team will be having practices each day this week from 9 p.m. to midnight. The Great Southern Regional events are open to the public and admission is free of charge. Rounds begin Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and reconvene Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
