Test your skills in live trials
Test your skills in live trials
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Fall 2025 Pathway to Law program is open until 9/21
Are you ready for a challenge? Every on-campus course I teach culminates in live mock trials, where students act as attorneys, witnesses and jurors and try criminal cases from opening statements to verdict in less than 90 minutes! Review these slides to see how we do it, then join us!
Complete Mock Trial Guide
This covers everything you need to try a case
Case Scenarios – police reports and witness statements
Explore Mock Trial Roles
Are you interested in learning more about jury trials in criminal cases? Learn from the inside by participating as an attorney, witness or juror in a mock trial.
Prosecutors prove venue, ID and each element of each charge beyond a reasonable doubt
Defense Attorneys present alternate hypotheses
Lay Witnesses testify to facts observed
Expert Witnesses seek to teach jurors and offer opinions
Jurors apply the law to the facts to render verdicts
Navigate Direct and Cross Examination
In the American criminal justice system, witnesses are subjected to direct and then cross examination. Explore and compare them in this video.
Direct Exam – open-ended questions let prepared witnesses explain the story of the case to the jury
Cross Exam – leading questions suggest their own answer, asking an opposing witness to agree or disagree with statements of the questioning attorney
Prepare to Testify
Before testifying in court, follow these basic guidelines to prepare, and check out the video for more information!
Look at the questioner and listen to the entire question
Stop to reflect on your answer
Look at the fact-finder and answer verbally and succinctly, in a clear, confident voice
Map Your Litigation Strategy in a Trial Notebook
Combine your Trial Scenario and Mock Trial Template in a 3-ring binder, with tabbed sections for:
Facts
Criminal Complaint
Exhibit List
Courtroom Guides
Opening Statements
Witness Direct and Cross Exams with Statements
Closing Arguments
Law
Relevant Statutes
Jury Instructions
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