Tryouts
I Want to Tryout! What’s Next?
So, you want to join mock trial, do you? Well, we are excited to have you! First, there are a few things that we would like to share with you about tryouts, including what to expect, and what to do before the big day. In order to make it straightforward, we will even show you the order that you should do these things in! So, strap in, grab a legal pad, and follow along!
Step #1
Attend a General Interest Meeting
The first thing that you will need to do is attend a General Interest Meeting. At this meeting, we will go over the basics of what to expect from mock trial, including the different roles, and what a typical year will look like. In addition, we will go into the specifics of the tryout process and answer any questions that you might have. The GIM this year will be on September 2nd from 3-5pm in the Welles Brown room!
Attend a Mock Trial 101 Section
During the week leading to tryouts, you can visit us in the Mock Trial office (101d) in Ruth Merrill! We will provide assistance with those looking to try out. This is an extremely helpful way for people that are unfamiliar with the mock trial format to learn more before they present their tryout materials in front of a panel of student judges.
Step #2
Step #3
Finalize Your Materials
After you’ve received help, you will need to make sure that your materials are ready for tryouts. It helps to run your materials by friends or roommates in order to get a feel for presenting them in front of an audience.
“Roch” the Tryouts!
After all of the practice that you put into perfecting your materials, you will finally get the chance to put it to use! This year, the tryouts will be held from September 7th-September 8th, and you will sign up for a time during one of those days. Tryouts will be approximately 15 minutes long. Once you finish your amazing tryout, you will hear back from the organization about the next steps in the following days.
Step #4
So What Exactly Should I Prepare for Tryouts?
Well, depending on what you want to tryout for, you will have to do one of a few things.
Here is the link to the tryouts packet!
Witness
Witnesses will have to be familiar with their assigned affidavit and respond to a 4-minute cross examination during their tryout. To be successful, a witness trying out should have a captivating character and be thoughtful when responding to the questions during their cross examination.
Both
If you trying out for both roles, then you will need to prepare a 4-minute cross examination to give as an attorney. You will also need to prepare to respond to a 4-minute cross examination as the witness. However, you will not need to give a persuasive speech if you are trying out for both roles.
Attorney
Attorneys will need to prepare a 4-minute cross examination before the tryout and deliver it to a witness during their tryout time. In addition, attorneys will need to give a 2-3 minute speech describing the plot of your favorite movie or book in an engaging way.